The Open House last night went very well. We had about 40 people show up to tour the library, nibble cookies, find out more about possible sites for a new library building, and share their ideas. I would like to extend a special thank-you to Council Members Sam Bergeron, Jason Harris and Marty West and Mayor Bob Weinstein for coming to the event. The staff enjoyed meeting them, and there were some lively discussions in the foyer.
Last night was also the Halloween party for the Teen Advisory Group. At one point during the evening I overheard one of the TAG members trying to explain the concept of 'hippies' to a Kayhi exchange student. Believe it or not, the 'Summer of Love' was 40 years ago (which would make it seem like ancient history to someone who is 15). By a wonderful coincidence, we have a new DVD all about those weird, tumultuous times. Summer of Love is an American Experience production (so you know it is good) that looks at both sides of the culture clash: worried parents and frustrated community leaders, as well as disaffected students and teens looking for a new experience. You can't help but wonder how many of those adventurous youth are now worried mainly about their mortgages, cholesterol, hair loss and Social Security benefits. Have they finally turned into their parents?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Open House
Well, we are gearing up for our big Open House this evening. We are inviting everyone to come down to the library from 5:30 to 8 pm to tour the building, learn more about the collection and meet the staff. And just to make it more exciting, we will have games to play and prizes to win. The Friends of the Library will be hosting this event, and they will be providing coffee and desserts for everyone to enjoy. The staff and the Friends will be available to answer any questions you might have about the library, the services that we can provide to you, and the campaign to build a new library for Ketchikan. The City Council will be discussing site selection possibilities this Thursday at 7 pm, so this is a good time to learn more. In fact, the Friends of the Library have invited all the City Council members, as well as the Mayor, to come down to the library this evening. If you are unable to attend the Thursday City Council meeting, this would be a good opportunity to voice your opinions about a new Ketchikan library. We look forward to seeing everyone....we'll save some cookies for you!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Yarn Bee Time!
I actually meant to post this yesterday, but I got totally distracted by the whole cookbook brouhaha.
Today is our first yarn bee! We are inviting anyone with an interest in knitting and/or crochet to come down to the library this afternoon to meet fellow enthusiasts, nibble some yummy cookies, and take a gander at the knitting and crochet resources that the library has to offer. We are hoping to make this a monthly event over the winter, if there is an interest. Each month we would make new books and videos available to those of you who love to craft with yarn, and the gathering would give everyone a chance to socialize and spend a nice, relaxing afternoon in out of the rain. Please join us!
Today is our first yarn bee! We are inviting anyone with an interest in knitting and/or crochet to come down to the library this afternoon to meet fellow enthusiasts, nibble some yummy cookies, and take a gander at the knitting and crochet resources that the library has to offer. We are hoping to make this a monthly event over the winter, if there is an interest. Each month we would make new books and videos available to those of you who love to craft with yarn, and the gathering would give everyone a chance to socialize and spend a nice, relaxing afternoon in out of the rain. Please join us!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A controversy
When I posted my blog this morning, little did I know that I was wading into a raging controversy: accusations of plagiarism! Apparently, the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook that I raved about is being compared with another cookbook that appeared earlier this year: The Sneaky Chef, by Missy Chase Lapine. I am not even going to begin to get into whether or not the two cookbooks are similar (especially since I have never seen Lapine's book), but I will post a link to a Slate article that goes into the issue in more depth: http://www.slate.com/id/2176563/fr/flyout
The part I find most embarrassing is that all the blogs and commentators seem to feel that the whole idea of sneaking pureed vegetables into your kid's food is unoriginal. The consensus seems to be "So what? Doesn't everybody know this trick?". Well, not this clueless parent. So legal issues aside, if you have been grinding veggies for years, then you can just ignore me. But if - like me - this grinding concept has left you gobsmacked, then I stand by my earlier posting.
Read the book.
The part I find most embarrassing is that all the blogs and commentators seem to feel that the whole idea of sneaking pureed vegetables into your kid's food is unoriginal. The consensus seems to be "So what? Doesn't everybody know this trick?". Well, not this clueless parent. So legal issues aside, if you have been grinding veggies for years, then you can just ignore me. But if - like me - this grinding concept has left you gobsmacked, then I stand by my earlier posting.
Read the book.
An exceptional book
I am breaking two of my self-imposed blog rules here:
1. I am writing about a book from the Children's Annex collection (I don't make the purchase decisions on those books) and
2. I am writing about a book that is already on hold, so you will not be able to check this out immediately (I usually put my blog books on display at the front desk)
BUT: this book is so great I am going to get an extra copy for the Adult library. Deceptively Delicious: simple secrets to get your kids eating good food is by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, the wife of the Seinfeld). And she has come up with a cookbook full of recipes for frustrated parents. It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees as well as desserts and snacks. What's the catch? Well, in every single recipe - from the deviled eggs to the pancakes to the grilled cheese sandwiches - you sneak pureed vegetables into the recipe! So you get deviled eggs with cauliflower puree, pancakes with beet puree, and grilled cheese sandwiches with squash puree. The kids eat healthy vegetables, and you don't have to turn the dinner table into World War III every night. As a parent whose child won't even eat dill because it is green, I think this is the best idea since sliced bread. And because I am not a huge fan of vegetables myself, this is a great way for me to eat more nutritionally without having to gag down entire mouthfuls of cauliflower (a particular dislike). Her advice is to make the puree ahead of time - steaming the vegetables in an automatic rice cooker and grinding them up in a food processor - and storing them in the freezer. Even if you are making boxed macaroni and cheese, it will take you all of five minutes (the noodles need to cook anyway) to thaw out some yellow squash puree and throw it in with the finished product. You don't need a lot of extra time, you can buy the vegetables when they are on sale, and your family will never know the carrots are in their food. How sneaky - and cool - is that! This book is absolutely my pick of the month. And don't worry that it is checked out. You can place it on hold by going to our catalog (the link is on the sidebar at the right of this post). Mangia!!
1. I am writing about a book from the Children's Annex collection (I don't make the purchase decisions on those books) and
2. I am writing about a book that is already on hold, so you will not be able to check this out immediately (I usually put my blog books on display at the front desk)
BUT: this book is so great I am going to get an extra copy for the Adult library. Deceptively Delicious: simple secrets to get your kids eating good food is by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, the wife of the Seinfeld). And she has come up with a cookbook full of recipes for frustrated parents. It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees as well as desserts and snacks. What's the catch? Well, in every single recipe - from the deviled eggs to the pancakes to the grilled cheese sandwiches - you sneak pureed vegetables into the recipe! So you get deviled eggs with cauliflower puree, pancakes with beet puree, and grilled cheese sandwiches with squash puree. The kids eat healthy vegetables, and you don't have to turn the dinner table into World War III every night. As a parent whose child won't even eat dill because it is green, I think this is the best idea since sliced bread. And because I am not a huge fan of vegetables myself, this is a great way for me to eat more nutritionally without having to gag down entire mouthfuls of cauliflower (a particular dislike). Her advice is to make the puree ahead of time - steaming the vegetables in an automatic rice cooker and grinding them up in a food processor - and storing them in the freezer. Even if you are making boxed macaroni and cheese, it will take you all of five minutes (the noodles need to cook anyway) to thaw out some yellow squash puree and throw it in with the finished product. You don't need a lot of extra time, you can buy the vegetables when they are on sale, and your family will never know the carrots are in their food. How sneaky - and cool - is that! This book is absolutely my pick of the month. And don't worry that it is checked out. You can place it on hold by going to our catalog (the link is on the sidebar at the right of this post). Mangia!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Patience of Job
If you read A.J. Jacobs' new book - The Year of Living Biblically: one man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible - you will come to an inevitable conclusion. His wife is one patient woman. Jacobs (editor at large for Esquire) decides to spend 365 days following the commandments and proscriptions in the Bible to the letter. We're not just talking about observing the Sabbath and not swearing. He stopped shaking people's hands because he didn't know if they were 'unclean' (Exodus 23:1 and Leviticus 15:19). He stopped wearing colored clothing (Ecclesiastes 9:8) and stopped shaving (Leviticus 19:27). He wouldn't make Play-Doh animals for his little boy or take pictures at his mother-in-law's birthday (Exodus 20:4). The fact that his wife didn't violate the sixth commandment during this experimental year is a testament to her love and fortitude.
This book is not only funny, it is actually quite instructive. For each Biblical verse or commandment that Jacobs follows, he describes his difficulties in adhering to it's direction in a 21st century-world, and he also gives a little history of how the rule came about and its interpretations over the years. One thing his experiment does point out is the effects that centuries of translation have had on our understanding of the text. For instance, the Karaite sect of Judaism avoid eating eggs because they feel the list of taboo birds in Leviticus 11 has never been properly translated (they're not sure which birds are really on the list, so they avoid all eggs to be safe). This is a very interesting book, and Jacobs manages to be humorous without being irreverent. A nice, fun read.
This book is not only funny, it is actually quite instructive. For each Biblical verse or commandment that Jacobs follows, he describes his difficulties in adhering to it's direction in a 21st century-world, and he also gives a little history of how the rule came about and its interpretations over the years. One thing his experiment does point out is the effects that centuries of translation have had on our understanding of the text. For instance, the Karaite sect of Judaism avoid eating eggs because they feel the list of taboo birds in Leviticus 11 has never been properly translated (they're not sure which birds are really on the list, so they avoid all eggs to be safe). This is a very interesting book, and Jacobs manages to be humorous without being irreverent. A nice, fun read.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
New music
We have a little flush of new music out on the shelf, so I am selecting a small group of CDs to mention today. I've tried to pick out a little something for everyone here:
Forever Cool is another one of those weird 'duets with the dead' CDs, this time featuring the resurrected voice of suave Dean Martin. Thanks to the wonders of space-age technology, he performs duets of some of his classic recordings with Chris Botti, Joss Stone, Martina McBride, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (a match made in heaven), and Kevin Spacey. Kevin Spacey? Yeah, I thought that was odd, too, but I didn't watch his tribute movie to Bobby Darin (Beyond the Sea).
Public Cowboy #1: a centennial salute to the music of Gene Autry is performed by my favorite contemporary cowboys - Riders in the Sky. More than wise-cracking NPR stars, the Riders in the Sky are loving custodians of cowboy music (and the cowboy way), and they have tenderly recorded 16 Gene Autry classics. This is actually a re-issue of their 1996 tribute album with 4 additional tracks, but hey: it's never too late for fun music.
Toots and the Maytals have released a new album called Light Your Light, and they continue their 40-year tradition of blending fabulous reggae, ska and blues sounds. The album features a guest appearance by Bonnie Raitt and some fabulous interpretations of Otis Redding and Ray Charles hits ("Pain in my heart" and "I gotta woman").
Last year we bought the DVD, this time we got the soundtrack. Jesus Christ Superstar has some truly memorable songs, and this particular album features the original Broadway cast. I'm not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I think he and Tim Rice did a fantastic job with this rock opera. Be sure to remember this CD when Easter rolls around - you can check it out with the soundtrack to Easter Parade (Judy Garland and Fred Astaire). There's a nice contrast.
Forever Cool is another one of those weird 'duets with the dead' CDs, this time featuring the resurrected voice of suave Dean Martin. Thanks to the wonders of space-age technology, he performs duets of some of his classic recordings with Chris Botti, Joss Stone, Martina McBride, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (a match made in heaven), and Kevin Spacey. Kevin Spacey? Yeah, I thought that was odd, too, but I didn't watch his tribute movie to Bobby Darin (Beyond the Sea).
Public Cowboy #1: a centennial salute to the music of Gene Autry is performed by my favorite contemporary cowboys - Riders in the Sky. More than wise-cracking NPR stars, the Riders in the Sky are loving custodians of cowboy music (and the cowboy way), and they have tenderly recorded 16 Gene Autry classics. This is actually a re-issue of their 1996 tribute album with 4 additional tracks, but hey: it's never too late for fun music.
Toots and the Maytals have released a new album called Light Your Light, and they continue their 40-year tradition of blending fabulous reggae, ska and blues sounds. The album features a guest appearance by Bonnie Raitt and some fabulous interpretations of Otis Redding and Ray Charles hits ("Pain in my heart" and "I gotta woman").
Last year we bought the DVD, this time we got the soundtrack. Jesus Christ Superstar has some truly memorable songs, and this particular album features the original Broadway cast. I'm not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I think he and Tim Rice did a fantastic job with this rock opera. Be sure to remember this CD when Easter rolls around - you can check it out with the soundtrack to Easter Parade (Judy Garland and Fred Astaire). There's a nice contrast.
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