As the page turns

That funny widget

2012-01-03T12:31:00.001-08:00

If you are reading this, you may have noticed that we revamped our website. You will find the information you have come to rely on in the same places, but we have added some features that we believe will enhance our service and speed you on your way to where you need to go.

That revolving widget that has been on our website for a few weeks (you will see it just down a bit on the left) is one of our enhancements. This gizmo is made up of the covers of our most recent additions to our collection. Does one look interesting to you? Just click on it and you are taken to a brief description, some reviews, and some suggestions of other titles. The catalog entry is just a click away from there so you can reserve the book or check on its availability. Use the drop-down menus at the top of the page for more newly added items organized by topic or format.

We think this little gadget will be a big enhancement - if nothing else, you can't say you don't know what's new! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Changes we don't like

2011-12-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about change for a while, and there have been a number of changes at the library - hopefully most are ones that have been positive since that was the intent. All these changes were a choice, based on observed issues and needs, developed from a meeting of minds to formulate the best solutions.

Unfortunately, sometimes change is imposed rather than chosen. And there are big changes coming up for everyone that uses the library. Maybe you have been hearing about the drive to reduce the tax rate here in Salem, and reductions inevitably are visible and felt everywhere - and the library is no different.

As of January 1, 2012, the library hours will be reduced. We will be closing at 7PM on Monday and Tuesday nights, and at 2PM on Saturdays.

But that is not the most difficult change for us. The library was asked to absorb a 10% budget reduction and to meet that goal, everything will be reduced and sadly that reduction includes a staff reduction of two. We are very distressed and saddened that two of our wonderful people will be leaving us at the end of the year.

While we will do our best to provide the quality service you have come to expect, covering the kind of services provided by these departing staff members will be difficult. We all hope that you will be understanding as we find our feet as we adjust to these difficult changes.

Kindle and eBooks

2011-10-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have been a participant in the wonderful state-wide program that makes Overdrive and downloadable audiobooks and eBooks available to you. You can find it here if you haven't tried it already. Originally this was just downloadable audio, but about a year ago, we all added to our annual contribution to Overdrive and added eBooks. They have proven to be enormously popular.

There have been a few drawbacks. It is a process to do it the first time, there aren't many eBook titles and they are always checked out, and you couldn't use your Kindle with it. But times change, and we are delighted to announce some very nice upgrades.

First of all, you can now download eBooks onto your Kindle (it has to go through your computer first) and read. Remember these are "checked out" just like a book and you only have them for two weeks, renewable. However, they are free, and we all know that eBooks are just about as expensive as regular books now.

Second, we have just arranged to have a supplimental service with Overdrive. This means that while we will continue to participate fully in the state program, we are arranging for additional eBook titles that will be available only to Kelley Library cardholders. We are in the process of selecting titles right now - so keep checking, soon there will more titles to select from that may actually not be already checked out!

Questions? Just stop by or call the reference desk and our helpful staff will be delighted to introduce you to this expanded service.

Still love to hold those books in your hands - you are in luck! We have just the books you are looking for, we just have them in more than one format.

Stop in and check out the Kelley Library. If you haven't been here recently, you really haven't been here.

Have you met Natalie?

2011-09-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you use the library regularly, you no doubt have come across Natalie at the main desk. What you may not know is that she is our Head of Circulation which means she is responsible for a wide variety of things ranging from statistics to scheduling to making sure that anything and everything related to circulation is being done. If that isn't enough, Natalie is our go-to person for almost any question, idea or plan. If I had a nickel for every time someone says "I'll ask Natalie" we could have a diamond studded circulation desk!

Natalie has imagination, endless curiosity and creativity married to practicality, detail thinking, and the ability to think of all the issues and potential problems - a rare combination. Basically, if I make the most casual "Wouldn't it be nice if . . ." statement, within an hour or at most a day Natalie has a plan of attack with all the variables addressed and is ready for it to be put in place.

So it is no surprise that in the time between my asking if I had asked her the famous 5 questions (no) and coming back with the questions and a pencil, she was all ready with her answers:

1. When I am not at the library, you can find me: at home reading (and let me tell you, she reads alot of books).
2. Describe your perfect day: at the beach, uninterrupted, especially by kids (did you know she has teenaged twins?)
3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be? San Diego, it is just about perfect. (She was just out there for a short vacation and discovered its perfection then)
4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge? Grapes, yogurt and cheese.
5. You would be surprised to find out that I: like to skeet shoot.

Stop in and say hello to Natalie. She is always there for all of us.

Our AED

2011-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a new addition right at the front entrance. If not, I recommend you take a moment to look. The Town of Salem has distributed AEDs to most of the town building and the library is one of the locations.

An AED - automated external defibrillator - is an easy to use device to help when someone is having a heart attack or similar problem. It comes with easy to follow instructions and won't do anything if its sensors do not find the correct condition. It is an invaluable tool to help keep someone alive while waiting for an ambulance.

Several people on the staff have had training, but the device is out in the public areas just so that anyone faced with this kind of emergency can take action.

Please take a moment to locate the device - no one ever knows when it will be needed.

Reading and sharing

2011-08-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

We were talking about what to do about the ripped upholstery on one of the big comfy chairs in the children's room. During one of our many rearraging of furniture here, we moved two down there in the window so that parents/grandparents and kids could snuggle together and share a book. They have been very popular - so popular that we are faced with what to do with the ripped upholstery.

I remember the hours spent reading picture books to my kids back lo these many years and how much fun we had, lying together on a bed, enjoying the books, discussing the artwork, and having a lovely, quiet shared moment at the end of each busy day. My older son continued to share with me and my daughter even when he was reading to himself, but ultimately there came the day that both were avid readers and no longer saw the charm of the picture books. Gosh that was a hard change to accept! But we did keep the tradition of reading several favorite Christmas picture books on Christmas Eve (Polar Express, Santa Cows and Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present come to mind)whenever we are together at Christmas.

So I was delighted to come across this new book that has just come out about a father and daughter who read aloud together each night for nine years: The Reading Promise, by Alice Ozma. They started when Alice was in the fourth grade, with the intention of reading for 100 consecutive nights. Once they reached that goal, they wanted to continue, and did so until Alice left for college. They have worked their way through a wide range of books, but best of all they retained a shared experience through the most challenging age for kids. They were able to carve out a snippet of time to come together and share some meaningful moments together - with books at the heart of it.

There is something about sharing a book that is irresistable. While it is a very solitary activity in general - and my husband always grumbles about feeling ignored when I read - at the same time as you read you frequently are thinking of talking about it to a friend or family member, are reminding yourself to recommend it(or recommend against it) to others. Just now there are a few books where the authors have written to share their life changing experiences while reading a set group of books over the course of a year. Howard's End is on the Landing, by Susan Hill is all about Ms Hill decision to read all the books on her shelves that she never had gotten to before.

Another title just coming out is Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, by Nina Sankovitch. In this book, Ms. Sankovitch decides to deal with personal loss by reading a book a day. She discovered a way to connect with a lost loved one.

It never fails to amaze me the various powers of books.

Books to movies

2011-06-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a topic more rife with strong preferences than the translation of a beloved book into film. There are those that were disappointing in the translation: The Shining, Bonfire of the Vanities, VI Warshawski. There are just as many that were quite successful: Roots, almost anything by Robert Parker, a few of the Agatha Christie series. But regardless, when we read a book we create a vision of the characters and the surroundings that is completely our own. It isn't always easy to articulate, but we know what it is, and we know when it is right on film. We are only truly satisfied when the film and the director's vision are close to our own.

Of course, we can always separate ourselves from the book and judge the movie as a stand-alone. I have done that on a number of occasions, with The Shining and even with Demi Moore's rendition of the Scarlet Letter (sorry none of the GMILCS library has this gem). If you just pretend that this is a new story that is totally unrelated to that book you liked so much, you might find much to enjoy in the film. The Shining is a good horror film, but it in no way reaches the intent or the true scariness of the book. When I read it way way many years ago, I had to stop before dinner, otherwise I knew I wouldn't be sleeping that night. The Scarlet Letter? There is a PBS version that is really good, but I found Demi's a guilty pleasure. It bore no resemblance to the book so I just watched for the B movie it was.

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a series of books I can reread at any time. I recall not too long ago on a quiet summer night in Maine, reading The Long Winter. At some point I got up to let the dog out and was really startled to see there was no snow outside. I certainly never got drawn into the story like that when watching the Little House series on TV.

So when I read that the cast had been set for the Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum movie - I was kind of worried. I love the series, and the characters are clearly imprinted in my mind's eye. Now that Sandra Bullock was too old, who could they decide to cast? Well, I have to admit, they made some great choices. I'm not sure about the choice for Ranger, but I think Grandma Mazur is going to be a hoot. What do you think?

How do you say?

2011-05-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the review journals we use to select books, and came across the new Michael Robotham book that is coming out in June, The Wreckage. Whenever I have come across his name, I have wondered how exactly to pronounce it. This time I decided to try and find out, as I have been successful in the past discovering how to pronounce John Lescroart (Les kwah) and Jodi Pecoult (Pekoe).

A quick Google search lead me to quite a variety of sites that provide help in pronouncing author’s names. The first one at Teaching Books is nifty because it includes a number of authors saying their own names (my favorite was Vladimir Radunsky). A great resource, but focused on children’s authors, so I moved on. The next site I tried was Inogolo, a site that provides pronunciation help for names in the arts. Sadly, no entry for Robotham, but Vladimir, John and Jodi were there – and Jodi’s showed that this site also has some audio links. I moved on to Swisseduc.ch. This appears to be a webpage for students in Switzerland, but it is a nice site for a limited number of author names spelled out phonetically and with an audio file of the author as well. I guess Robotham is not on the reading list (nor John, Jodi or Vladimir), so I moved on to Book Browse. What a great site for readers! Well worth the time to browse through and revisit. But I was looking for pronunciations. They have quite a variety, my favorite on this page being Cees Nooteboom. Cool name, and we even have a book by him – will have to try it. But still no Robotham. So I did a direct google – how do you pronounce Robotham. I came across a brief discussion on Facebook, and apparently the problem is there is no single pronunciation, but at least there were some suggestions.

So was I successful in my search? Well, at least I have identified a way to pronounce the name, possibly not the right way, but a way. But the big bonus was coming across this article, a very interesting bit about Robotham’s background as a well-known ghost writer. Interesting what all you discover on the road to an answer.

By the way his background as a ghost writer reminded me of the great movie I saw recently . . .

Movies: Ghost writer

Hit or Miss

2011-04-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have wondered for a long time why some books hit big, and others that come out at the same time, get similar reviews, are similar types of books, just miss.

One that comes to mind is The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl and Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. I remember reading reviews of both when selecting books from the library's collection and thought they both sounded interesting twists on standard thrillers. They got similar reviews as well - ok but not glowing. So I bought them both, and really, The Dante Club was the one I remembered more from the reviews. But for some reason it was The DaVinci Code that took off and took off huge.

Richard North Patterson and James Patterson started off about the same time - again I remember noting the similarity in name and the fact that they were well-reviewed additions to the thriller genre. I bought both and marveled to see that while they both are best selling authors, James Patterson is crazy popular.

So what is that magical difference? Nowadays, it is often the marketing side, getting onto Oprah, etc. But back when the above examples occurred, each were similarly mild blips on the publishing scene, yet one in each became an overwhelming success. It comes down to word of mouth and having a theme or topic that just hits the public at just the right time. AT that point, success builds on success, it gets into the press and that just pushes it all into overdrive.

A recent example is the "The Girl Who" series. These titles have taken off like crazy - as anyone waiting on the waiting lists for them well knows. I am not sure why they are more popular than other mystery series as I have read equally good stories and series that don't see this kind of popularity. But wow, they are huge. Again - the pattern seems to have been word of mouth leading to heavy press coverage leading to monster success.

There are tons of examples - and I would love to hear yours. Share them so maybe we can start a bit of word of mouth magic. Here's mine - I dare you to read Small Change, by J. Belinda Yandell and explain why it or the author never saw the success of Richard Evans, Robert Waller, or Nicholas Sparks. Good luck finding it, no one in the system even has it anymore, but check the reviews at Amazon - if you are really interested, I can lend you my copy.

Fads vs Staple

2011-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with passing fads, those must have things that fade quickly. Pet Rocks or Parachute Pants come to mind. There are those things we think will be a passing craze that seem to linger to become, astonishingly, a staple - saggy pants come to mind on that. Who would think that Marky Mark would have set off a craze that is still with us today.

There doesn't seem to be a discernable reason for one to fade as a fad, and another to stay with us as a staple of life. A fad hits the public's interest at just the right moment, capturing the interest of consumers, pundits and journalists. But what makes it last? What ensures the enduring popularity making it a standard? If there was a way of predicting, marketers and investors would have a much easier time of it.

The idea of fads and staples has been on my mind for a while. Today I came across this video about Mexican Pointy Boots (really you have to stay for the whole video), and combined with a call from Barnes and Noble, it got me wondering why eBooks are showing significant signs of becoming a staple, this time. We librarians see eBooks as just a new format in our array of offerings, a great addition to the Large Print, audiobook, paperback, hardback choices intended to meet the varying needs of our community - that this time around is actually showing signs of staple-dom.

This time? You might well ask. eBooks are not new. I can remember back some 10 or so years when working at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, having the Assistant Director, Gladys Maharam, - a true visionary of library service - demonstrating this new gizmo that would allow people to read a book electronically. She saw such a future for them that she had invested in purchasing several, plus the books. She was sure that everyone would be as excited as she was, would understand the potential, and electronic versions of books would be, well, a staple. I guess you realize that it didn't. Didn't even show up as a fad. No one was interested, and nothing came of it - back then.

Fast forward to the present, and suddenly eBooks are the thing. Not a fad, and not the death of the printed book - but something comfortably in between - a staple. Everything has its golden moment - the trick is making the evaluation: fad or staple? The science is making the right evaluation and know where to invest and where to just enjoy the fleeting craze.

Book: Trendwatching: don't be fooled by the next investment fad, mania, or bubble, by Ron Insana
Audiobook: Microtrends: the small forces behind tomorrow's big changes, by Mark Penn.

Have you met Vicki?

2011-03-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

There's a good chance that you haven't had a chance to meet Vicki. While she helps out at the reference desk, it is limited to Friday nights and every 3rd Saturday. The rest of the time she is behind the scenes making sure that everything you check out is there to check out. Vicki is our cataloger, entering most of our collection into the system so that you can see it in our catalog. This is a very specialized process that takes a detail oriented person that strives for perfection, and we are lucky that Vicki is right there in the top ranks of the field. In fact, she is one of very few librarians in the state that the State Library allows to do some specialized cataloging. Of course she does much more than that for us - but it is all invisible to our users, but absolutely vital to making the library function.

Luckily, Vicki isn't a terribly serious person (except with her work) so her easy laugh and humorous attitude do much to lighten the load for all of us here at the library. And in addition to her participation in a very competitive Sweet Adeline Chorus, she has other unexpected interests. We found out during out 5 questions:

1. When I am not at the library, you can find me: at home on the computer.

2. Describe your perfect day: At a Science Fiction Convention with my friends. In fact, I already have made plans to attend the WorldCom in London in 2014.

3. If you had to live somewhere else than New Hampshire, where would it be? Down in Georgia. I got my masters in Decater and worked there for a while, and loved it. I made great friends, found Atlanta to suit me well and have always planned to move back at some point.

4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge? Eggs and OJ for my dad, and chocolate ice cream for both of us.

5. You would be surprised to find out that I: Collect hand fans. I started collecting back in 1981 as an inexpensive way to decorate my home. Now I have a large collection and belong to the Fan Association of North America.

So keep an eye out for her, but know that her work is visible every time you look for a book or check out a DVD. She brings a great deal of professional experience to this library, and we gladly benefit from it, but we all treasure her friendship.

Snowed under?

2011-03-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

We have all seen them, the ads for Bing where one word sets off a random torrent of conflicting responses, and let's be honest, it is a successful ad because we all have experienced that.

This week has been one of those times where nearly everything that comes up relates to one idea - the overload of information we are all recieving. Being snowed under as it were. It started with a book I ordered in to read. Talk about a service that sucks you in and makes you reach out for so many books, movies and cds! I won't say how many knitting books I have to look over at home. Did I mention we now have two successful knitting groups here? See how easy it is to be led way off track with a single idea.

Anyway, the book. It is a marketing book about catching the attention of your customer: Your attention please. The introduction and first chapter is all about how the overwhelming avalanche of information (ads, emails, web content, etc) is making it almost impossible for people to focus on anything. I see myself doing exactly what he mentions - keeping emails to check later - and never getting to them because of the dozens and dozens that have come in since. Printing off great articles for reading later - and never getting to them because of everything else coming along and swamping them. Making notes of what to do the next day, only to have so much unexpected come up that they are covered with a new series of notes, to be covered again and again.

Well, since then, I have seen an article in this week's Newsweek about how an overload of choices and information is interfering with decisionmaking. I have also seen postings around the web, and have experienced in on the job - just too much going on to be able to sit back and think clearly.

I'm not sure what we can do, except shut off the computer/phone/device. Find something away to occupy yet not overstress your brain: take a walk, sit and watch the view, knit - did I mention all those knitting books? But it is vital to slow the flow, put some brakes on all that we see and hear so we can take a moment to enjoy the moment for more than a moment. One of the most surprising tidbits in the book I mentioned above was the fact that there is more information in a single issue of the NY Times than the average person recieved in a lifetime in the 1600's. Wow. No wonder it is so hard to focus and no wonder it is so important to slow the process a bit.

Book: Making it all work, by David Allen
Book: Information: a history, a theory, a flood, by James Gleick
Book: Winter of our disconnect: how three totally wired teenagers (and a mother who slept with her iPhone) pulled the plug on their technology and lived to tell the tale, by Susan Maushart
Book: Against the machine: being human in the age of the electronic mob, by Lee Siegel

Family

2011-02-02T06:31:00.001-08:00

We have just started a Genealogy Club here at the library, giving people interested in looking into their family history a chance to share techniques, great sources and stories. Genealogy it a popular hobby with many of us, providing us context and stability in our ever-changing lives. It puts into perspective the trials and joys of our lives when compared to those of our ancestors.

My mother went through a family history craze years ago while trying to prove that her family could be traced back to the Mayflower. So to me, tracing family history meant boring waits in the car, trips to cemeteries filled with strangers, and my mother engrossed with sheaves of paper all the time. My brother has recently caught the bug, leading him all over New England in search of this or that family link. He has ratcheted up the process, dropping in on descendants of distant shared ancestors.

My version of catching the bug was when I decided to scan, label and package all the old family photos so that everyone could have a copy. It was fascinating to see my grandmother, who suffered from depression for many years, as a happy young girl. It was a delight to see my grandfather as a strikingly handsome young man. But it was all the mysterious other people included in photos that linger on my mind. Who were they? Who were they to my ancestors? Many were identified by my parents, but one, a long time girlfriend of my Great Uncle, remains a tantalizing mystery. She is/was vivacious, lovely and brimming with life - here are a just a few of the dozens of pictures:

She was apparently considered part of the family since her name was never part of the meticulous labels in white ink on the black paper photo albums. All the relatives that would know are dead now, so I may never know who she was - unless someone out there recognizes her? She lived somewhere in the Alston/Billerica/Greater Boston area.

But that is what is endlessly fascinating about genealogical searches. There are snapshots of times past, hints of what our great great grandparents lives were like, mysterious people entering and leaving our family histories - really it is like a good mystery book - you know the end, but how did we get there?

If you are interested at all in genealogy, join the club - it meets next on February 22nd at 1PM. If you can't make the meeting, be sure to try out our genealogical esources: Ancestry Plus and Heritage Quest. Plus we have some wonderful resources at the library and the reference staff can help you any time.

Book: Genealogy online, by Elizabeth Powell Crowe
Book: Family history for the older and wiser, by Susan Fifer
Book: Scrapbooking your family history
Book: Uncovering your ancestry through family photographs, by Maureen Alice Taylor
DVD: Faces of America

New year, new look

2011-01-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of a little lull between Christmas and New Year's to do some rearranging here at Kelley. This is just the next step in a reorganization of the library to make it more welcoming, provide more space for our growing collections, and just to bring it more up to date. I'll start with the main floor and talk about the Children's Room next time.

We had already painted the walls and moved the study tables throughout the library. This time, we did a lot more. The new book area got a facelift with some comfortable club chairs and new carpets. The area now looks like a welcome spot to sit and browse through the new books. The paperback section was reorganized for easier browsing and to remove the wall of shelving that greeted browsers. The teen books were moved further back into the library where this popular and growing collection could grow and have seating for browsing. The cd-book collection took over the teen area enhancing browsing for this collection and allowing for expansion. The TV show DVDs moved over next to the film DVDs so that the whole DVD collection is together. Westerns are still where they always were, but now the paperback westerns are with them. All our science fiction is now in aisle 11a providing for easy browsing in just one location.

We think it looks and feels good and so far feedback has been good. If you haven't seen the changes yet, here are a few previews, but the best way to see it all is to come in and take a look.

Are we done? Not by a long shot - the next series of changes will be coming in a few months. What is great about the changes is that it improves your experience, revitalizes the library experience, and other than a lot of lifting and carrying by our wonderful staff (a big woohoo for Natalie, Allison, Michele, Cindy, and Christine!) it was all done at a very low cost.

Music CD: Best of Bowie
Book: Who moved my cheese, by Spencer Johnson

The places we will go . . .

2010-12-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a new comic strip this week and it has been all about a baby trying to figure out what to do with a book since he can't figure out how to turn it on. Today, he decided to try opening it, revealing a treasure trove of characters. I thought it was perfect - after all, you never really know where a book is going to take you when you open the covers.

As I walked into the library this afternoon, I noticed the book Crazy for Cornelia on the sale rack. I read this book years ago, I will be honest, out of desperation - one of those facing a long weekend and nothing on hand to read selections. Well, as often happens, I was pleasantly surprised. It is a funny romance, what would normally have been a pleasant book, soon forgotten. But there is a really strange aspect to this book that took me off on tangents I never saw myself exploring. If you haven't read this book, Cornelia is obsessed with Tesla, and spends much of the book trying to produce one of his creative concepts. Yes, Tesla, in the middle of a standard humorous yet touching romance. Not knowing anything about Tesla other than that famous coil, I spent some time afterwards reading about Tesla. Fascinating - and so useful when I randomly watched The Prestige (one of those facing a long weekend with nothing on hand to watch selections). But it all was an unexpected bonus to reading the book - I learned something without meaning to, and found myself exploring a new interest.

When I was putting together the "Today Is" sheet for December 6th, I happened onto the anniversary of the Halifax Explosion, the largest man-made explosion prior to WWII. I already knew all about it - why? Because I read A Wedding in December, by Anita Shreve of course. I read Anita Shreve occasionally, and was on a kick of her books at the time I read this one. If you haven't read this book, there is a parallel story going on that is the text of a book being written by one of the characters, and that story is all about a romance in the midst of the Halifax Explosion. I just happened to be reading this all when the terrific book The Curse of the Narrows, by Laura MacDonald came out. What a fascinating book, detailing the whole tragic event in Halifax. Again, something I would never have dipped into if I hadn't read the Shreve book. With that tempting glimpse at the explosion and aftermath, I ended up again learning something quite painlessly. Did you know that Boston gets a donated tree from Nova Scotia to this day in thanks for Boston's help after the disaster?

So, share your experiences with unexpected tangents from reading a book. I know I will be interested in hearing.

That human touch

2010-11-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

I was watching TV last night (and I will admit to watching a lot of TV while I knit, read or browse through publisher's catalogs), and saw an ad for a new electronic gizmo that will teach your child to read. It works by the child pointing to a word or letter, and the electronic book 'saying' the word or sound. My initial thought was nifty - I am all for anything that helps new (or struggling) readers. But as I thought about it more, I really thought it is kind of a sad thing too. Where is the human contact, that sitting and sharing a book or a moment with another person? For some reason, electronics have given us the illusion of contact while really distancing us all.

It started with radio - we no longer had to go out to a theater to see a show. Television took away the chance to talk with other listeners, guessing the color of the gowns, the appearance of the ballroom, how the characters dressed or what they looked like. Now we could just sit and stare and be shown it all. The advent of computers and now smartphones have removed the need to actually talk at all - we can just send a brief note. Sure we may be talking to more people, and people all over the world, but are we really sharing a moment together? Can we sense the real emotions going on? I know I stick in a LOL or smiley face when talking to my kids far away from New Hampshire even though I am feeling blue. Are we losing the chance to really connect?

I have to say, there are still things going on - and I am proud that some of them here at the library - that allow for some human touch. I have been a part of the evening knitting group since its start, and the sense of community of that group is awesome (and I mean that in all its many uses). Almost immediately, we were willing to share very personal experiences and have found great support from one another. At the same time, we have a heck of a fun time, laughing loud enough to be shushed on occasion. And it isn't just this one group - the daytime knitting group is bonding similarly. Quite honestly, I thought this kind of bonding was a thing of fiction or movies (like the Jane Austen Book Club), but here I am seeing and living it every week. Even better, we welcome each new member and make them part of the group - no cliques here.

Another program here makes that human connection - but it is really a human to dog connection. We have a couple of READ dogs visiting regularly, providing the chance for kids to read out loud and share a few minutes with a friendly dog. Pets have become more challenging these days too - so many rentals restrict pets, so many people now have allergies, so many parents have to both work leaving no time for pets. But pets are an important friend for some children - some loving companion that will listen to you and not criticize or make fun of you. So our READ dogs fill that role, even if it is only for a few minutes.

So the library does provide the opportunity to connect with the world, the community and with each other. It takes so many forms from people talking with the staff, informal meetings to talk about the day over newspapers, more formal meetings of a wide variety of groups, to sitting next to your mom or dad and sharing a book. It is a vital thing in this day and age of electronic insulation - and it is just another aspect of what your library is all about.

Website: Your child and television
Movie: Jane Austen Book Club

The changes just keep coming

2010-10-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have spoken here a few times about changes happening at the library. Each of these is intended to make your library experience easier, more enjoyable, or better. Our most recent change falls right in line.

You might have noticed that you now can take out more DVDs than before. When the DVD collection was first formed, it was small and DVDs were expensive, so the circulation period (back then it was 2 days) was set up to keep what DVDs we had coming back for circulation to the next person in line.

But times change, the collection grew and the cost of DVDs dropped, and we decided it was time to make some changes in how we handle circulating DVDs. The change highlight: you can take out as many as you want (TV series included) and keep them 2 weeks, renewable 3 times. If you are anything like me, you take those DVDs with every intention of watching them right away, and time just slips by. Before you know it a week has whizzed by and you haven't even taken them out of your bag! Now you can renew and get to them at your leisure. Anther thing that happens to me is I pick those 5, sure that the whole family will want to watch them, and you get them home and they just don't hit the spot. Now you can take more and be sure that something will be interesting.

Of course, the worse scenario was when you forgot about the DVD and now it has been more than a week and wow, those really high fines have kicked in The change bonus: fines now are down to just $.15 a day. Great news - right?

We did keep the limit of 5/check out for a week for our brand new DVDs. Those are in short supply and high demand and we still need to keep them coming in and out. But the fines are lower! Just $.50 a day now.

Speaking of the new movies. People are always asking me if we get new movies - believe it or not, we get them all - they are just always out. Consider putting a reserve on them. Not only will you be sure to get it, but it gives us some data to decide if we need to get additional copies to meet the demand. You will be helping everyone, you will be sure to get the movie pretty quickly and you will be sure to get that great film you have been waiting for since it was released.

Change - in this case we are all winners!

Book: 1001 movies you have to see before you die.
Music: Buffalo Springfield

Book sale revisited

2010-10-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

I promised some updated pictures - and I finally have some:

As the sale started - here is the room with books for adults:

Here is the children's and audio-visual sale room:

We got browsers and buyers:

And how the storage area looked after the sale (please note no more stacks and stacks of boxes of books):

It's Pie!

2010-10-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

There are a very few things that are considered the symbols of America's small town values and apple pie is right at the forefront. It's interesting that so many of these symbols are linked to this time of year: apples, baseball (especially the world series), football, Thanksgiving turkey, celebrations of the discovery of America and of the Veterans who have protected the American way of life over the centuries. I'm not sure why there is this cluster - maybe it is a natural result of the beauty of this time of year. How can you see the vivid colors of the fall and not feel again an appreciation of our country? And how better to celebrate that with a nice slice of apple pie? We are doing our part with a couple of great programs coming up.

Our Baked Bean Cook-Off was so much fun, we decided to try an Apple Pie Bake-Off. If you have a great recipe for apple pie, enter it for judging on Saturday, October 16th. You can enter a traditional apple pie or an anything but traditional pie. We are awarding ribbons and some nice prices with the judging being done by another fine panel of judges: Fire Chief Breen, Merri Carlson from the Pie Guy, food columnist Pat Altomare and staff members Natalie Ducharme and Audrey LaRoche. These judges will vote in the traditional and anything but traditional categories. There will also be a People's Choice award given. Stop by the Kelley Library for the rules for the Bake-Off and a registration form. You can also find these on our website.

So put your baking to the test and you might just be the Apple Pie King or Queen of Salem. Don't bake? Love to eat? Come by after 12:30 on Saturday and taste all the entries and select your favorite.

Drop by Thursday night, October 14th, for a tasty program featuring Sam from Apple Acres. Sam will be telling us all everything about apples, and of course, there will be some sampling of the great apples from this local orchard.

Book: Pie: 300 tried-and-true recipes for delicious homemade pie, by Ken Haedrich
Book: Stand for something, by John Kasich
Book: The book of new family traditions, by Meg Cox

Annual Book Sale

2010-09-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

Our big Annual Book Sale is this weekend as part of the community's SalemFest event. Every year I wonder if we will have enough to make it a big sale, and each year I walk into the room where we store the sale books and am amazed at the generosity of our community. Do we have books to sell!

This is an important fundraiser for us as the money raised through our book sale - annual and daily - provide the total funding for our Summer Reading Club, all our programming throughout the year, incidentals like software and signs. So every purchase of a book gets cycled right back to our service to the community.

I will post additional photos as we set up for the sale, during and after the event.

Information is light

2010-09-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this quote by Tom Stoppard: "Information is light. Information in itself, about anything, is light". I didn't find the context, so I am not sure how Mr. Stoppard intended it to mean, but I immediately flashed (if you will excuse the pun) onto the cartoon staple of a light bulb over a character's head - enlightenment, understanding, ideas. I certainly think that the library is responsible for a great deal of light in people's lives. It is an extremely rare book, piece of music or film that doesn't shed a bit of light on the human condition, a bit of understanding about our neighbors, insights into ideas. It is that Aha moment, that moment where you say to yourself while reading, "Oh I didn't know that". Light shining on life is key to understanding.

Light shining is key to seeing in a more mundane way as well. Thanks to the Kelley Library Board of Trustees, there is more and better light shining in the Children's Department. Long a place of bright spots and dim spaces, the light now is brighter without being squint bright, and dispersed throughout shedding light on books long lost in the shadows. Who knows what insights, ideas and understanding will be result from some good lighting? And where better to start than with our children?

Stop in and catch some light.

Book: The dog it was that died, and other plays, by Tom Stoppard
Book: Complete lighting design, a practical design for perfect lighting, by Marilyn Zelinsky
Book: Against the machine: being human in the age of the electronic mob, by Lee Siegel
Book: Seeking enlightenment - hat by hat, by Nevada Barr

Have you met Cathy?

2010-08-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Cathy is another 'recent' addition to the staff, having been with the Library about 5 years now. She hails from Rhode Island and got into the library field by way of teaching and working with special needs children. Being the youngest on the staff at the time, she was called to work with the teens and preteens when we decided to ramp up our services to this age group. But most of the time, Cathy can be found in the children's room, ready to help kids of all ages find just what they want - and often something they didn't realize they wanted until they dipped into the book.

Like so many of the people who work here at Kelley, Cathy has a fun sense of humor. However, she takes her job very seriously, carefully considering all the factors when planning a program, selecting materials, and everything else that comes her way. She has an easy manner with everyone who uses the children's room, and is sincerely concerned about the children who come in.

I asked her the famous 5 questions:

1. When I am not at the library, you can find me: In Rhode Island, visiting my family.
2. Describe your perfect day: On the beach, reading a book, followed by a nice dinner and then somewhere afterwards, like a play or Cirq du Soleil.
3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be? I want to travel, but I would start with Ireland.
4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge? Ice cream, salad mix, and turkey.
5. You would be surprised to find out that I: was a party girl in college.

Cathy is all grown up now, and is a very caring person with children. She's another person that makes the staff here so special.

What are those arrows for?

2010-08-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed those bright pink arrows that have appeared recently on our website? They look like this:

They are much smaller on the webpage of course, but perhaps you have seen them. We introduced the pink arrow as an indicator for further information. Just click on the arrow and it will lead you to something relevant to the topic.

Right now we are using the pink arrow to lead you to some books and other materials that we think will be of interest to you. These titles are selected by the Kelley Library staff and are chosen to expand on the topic of an upcoming program or provide suggestions for books that are similar in theme or style to the books being read in our various book groups.

But it doesn't stop there. Once you click, check out the various menu entries on the left. This provides you with a wide range of suggested reading, new publications, newsletters that you can sign up for that will come to your email regularly with additional recommendations. There is an Author A-Z that gives a very nice overview of a ton of popular authors.

And the best part? Each of these additional pages includes a Check Our Catalog link and takes you right to our catalog for you to reserve the title you are interested in. If what you are looking for isn't there, let us know and we will be sure to get it for you - just call, stop in, or email us (our addresses are here). Oh and be sure to keep clicking the pink arrow - you never know what treasures or treats it will lead you to.

Book: The Joy of Geocaching, by Paul Gillin
Book: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, edited by Peter Boxall.

A new addition to the staff?

2010-07-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

We have frequently hosted programs featuring animals of all shapes and sizes, the most recent being our Summer Reading Kick-off with Wildlife Encounters Zoo.

But today, we saw something very new in the library. Saydi was on the 'job' for the very first time.

Saydi is a gentle, lovable dog who has agreed to come to the library regularly to read with children. She is ably assisted by her friend, Brittany Owens, and settles down for an hour or so to listen to whatever book her new friends decide to read. She will be coming once or so a month.

It was interesting to see what books the children selected. One or two read a section of the book they were currently reading - being careful to bring Saydi up to speed on the plot before diving into the book. Another group chose a selection of dog themed books - The Big Red Dog and the like - no doubt to be sure that the books would be of interest to Saydi too.

It was also interesting to see how Saydi reacted to the readers. Always gentle and patient, Saydi lay down for a good listen with the first reader. The next reader was a young boy and something about him brought Saydi nose to nose for a close-up listen (and a few licks).

Another group of the day lulled Saydi to sleep, just like so many moms and dads have with children over the years.

After all, books and reading are emminently adaptable. You can do it all alone, the book drawing you into the story and letting you become part of the events. You can do it one on one: a parent, grandparent (or loving pet) nestled together with a child, sharing the wonderful story unfolding on the pages. And it can be a group activity as well, allowing everyone to share a single experience, yet challenging the readers to talk about how the story affected each one in a different way. There is something remarkable about books and reading, don't you think?

Book: How to get your child to love reading, by Esme Raji Codell
Book: Marley and Me, by John Grogan
Book: Best books for kids who (think they) hate to read : 125 books that will turn any kid into a lifelong reader, by Laura Backes

eBooks revisited

2010-07-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I talked about Kelley participating in the downloadable ebooks program offered through the State Library of NH. What I didn't mention was the fact that we had purchased a Kindle and were in the midst of preparing it for circulation.

We are proud to announce that the Kindle is now available for use. We decided, after much discussion, to devote the content to books on the NY Times best sellers lists - fiction and nonfiction. We thought using these titles would provide a variety of books of popular interest and reflecting a wide range of topics, points of view, and ideas.

Right now the Kindle has 10 titles, five from each list, and we will be adding to the selections regularly. You can reserve it just like any other library item either at the library or online here.

Why a Kindle? Well, it is the easiest for the library to access additional books to add and Amazon has a large library of books to select from. Why an ebook? The library has a long standing reputation of offering new formats as they become standardized, balancing keeping on the forefront with jumping on formats that won't last. It's a balance of embracing the new with fiscal responsibility. Why offer the Kindle for circulation? It is a great tool for many of our users. It is an easy way to take a wide selection of books on a trip without having to lug around all those books. It is a wonderful option for people with sight issues (the font size can be changed easily) or with other physical limitations (it is light, doesn't require being held open, is enormously portable, and can be propped up for reading). And just like the many formats we offer books in already (audio, large print, print, downloadable) it is another way to make reading accessible to the community.

Try it out, tell us what you think.

Book: 2001, a space odyssey, by Arthur C Clarke.
Book: Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed, by Jared M. Diamond
Book on CD: Microtrends[the small forces behind tomorrow's big changes], by Mark J. Penn
DVD: The Terminator

Have you met Audrey?

2010-06-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

No doubt you have met Audrey. She is a fixture at the circulation desk, sure and calm, someone who is unruffled in the face of a long line, or a challenging question - she knows just the person to refer you to if the question is better answered by someone else. She is a very precise and careful worker, making sure that everything is done properly, fully and correctly. She takes similar care in selecting our paperbacks, and seamlessly repairing our books. At the same time, she is the go to person for artistic or creative ideas. Each winter, she designs and assembles the Library wreathe for the Greystone fundraiser. She came up with some very clever ideas for entertaining the Teddy Bears at their sleepover. She did the pillows and curtains for the children's room. She has a great sense of humor, a little on the dark side, but always ready with a laugh.

It is always interesting to realize that while Audrey is a familiar figure in our lives, there are interesting things about her that we just don't know. To find out about a few of them, we are asking her the famous 5 Questions.

1. When I am not at the library, you can find me: sitting on my deck. (Hpoefully not in the dead of winter - but then, who knows?)

2. Describe your perfect day: Warm weather, sunshine, water to look at, a good book, and a glass of wine.

3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be: Someplace more temperate, perhaps the Carolinas.

4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge: Diet Coke, salad fixings, and olives (black and green)

5. You would be surprised to find out that I: am a great grandmother.

Audrey says she has been here for almost 22 years. I asked why work at a library and she said that she has worked at a library in some capacity since she was in 5th grade, so libraries are part of her life. She is certainly part of the life here at Kelley.

We're in this together

2010-06-09T17:42:00.001-07:00

Saturday, we are welcoming the Salem Animal Rescue League for the first in a series we are calling "We're in this Together". With this series, local non-profits will be showcasing the great work they do here in Salem. These organizations do a great deal for our community and our community members - and often do all this without much of an opportunity to toot their horns. We decided we would provide that opportunity.

With this series, a different non-profit will be highlighted on a quarterly basis. The lobby and the meeting room will be set aside for activities, displays and informational presentations - whatever the individual non-profit needs to tell their story.

Why is the library offering this? Well, the name for the series says it all - we're in this together. The library, like the various service non-profits in Salem, are here to serve yo and the community, reaching out a helping hand, supporting community members in good times and bad, ready to help out when you need us.

So if you know of a non-profit that would be interested in being part of this series - let me know. I will be delighted to help out.

Book: Jobs that matter: find a stable, fulfilling career in public service, by Heather Krasna.

Ebooks

2010-05-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Some people wonder why libraries - like Kelley - are embracing the ebook since so many pundits are busy predicting the end of the print book - and by extension - threatening the usefulness of libraries. Well, we librarians have long been in the business to bring information to our users in whatever format possible, and have changed with the times. For instance, LPs changed into cassettes that changed into CD to which we have added Playaway, MP3 and downloadables. Ebooks have been embraced by libraries way before Amazon made a splash with the Kindle, kicking off the current fascination with reading books electronically. I remember when I was working at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, our Assistant Director demonstration the new ebook readers that had been purchased for circulation - and that was at least 10 years ago.

So when the opportunity arose to participate in the Ebook program through the State's Downloadable Audiobook plan, we jumped on it. If you have a non-Kindle e-reader (like the Sony ones or the Nook), you can now 'check out' an electronic book here. Try it out - there is a small but interesting choice of titles.

We aren't forgetting the Kindle either. We have a Kindle just about ready to circulate - we are planning a June 1 launch. We are in the process of loading books on it, and have decided to fill it with titles from the NY Times Best Sellers list.

Clearly, ebooks in some format are here to stay (for a while) and we want to ensure our users that are interested in reading electronically can find what they are looking for at the library. After all, that is what a library is all about - making informational, educational, cultural and recreational resources available in a useful format.

Book: The Book is Dead, by Jeff Gomez
Book: Promised land, thirteen books that changed America, by Jay Parini

Legos!

2010-05-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

We are planning to start a Lego Club for kids this fall, and are currently asking for donations of Legos from anyone willing to part with their stash. You might have seen a bit about it in our newsletter. It has been interesting overhearing the conversations resulting from people reading about it. Everyone seems delighted to hear we are planning to do it, but no one is able to give away their blocks. They say they have to keep it for the grandchildren, or they know their grown kids would be appalled that the Legos had been given away. I even heard a father talking about the Club in very enthusiastic terms, but his own Legos had been used by his kids, and although they were now older, neither the kids or the father wanted to let their Legos go.

It is fascinating what remains important to us throughout our lives. I know I kept all my Barbie dolls and clothes on the off chance I would have a daughter (and I did) so that she could play with them (and she did). I don't think she is ready to give them away even though she is out of college now. My son has a huge collection of Legos, and a bigger one of trucks. They are all safely stored somewhere since he couldn't bear to part. My husband moved frequently throughout his life and most of his treasures got lost over the years. So we haunt flea markets and antique shops on the lookout for treasured memories that he can buy back and keep close. I still have shelves of books I loved as a child that I purchased to have to share with my daughter, but this time, she wasn't interested. So I save them, dip back into them on occasion to revisit these familiar stories, and keep them - I say for my grandchildren, but it really is for me.

These tokens from our past lives bring back the happy times spent using the toy, the child's belief that we can be just like the character in the story. It keeps our personal history safe at hand, ready for whenever we need to take a moment to go there or to share with friends and family.

So, if you can pry them willingly from someone's hands, we welcome any Lego donations. We will have a club regardless of the Legos we get, don't worry. And if that inner child is interested, we could have a Lego club for adults too. Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet - go to Toys are Us here in Salem. There is an amazing life-size Lego Storm Trooper on display - well worth stopping in to see it.

Book - The Lego Book, by Daniel Lipkowitz

Book - Schroeder's collectible toys

Book - Toys and Games, by Philip Steele

Art in the Library

2010-04-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Kelley Library has long offered local artists space to showcase their artwork in a variety of ways. The Greater Salem Artists Association, which meets regularly at the library, hangs artwork of its members in the Beshara Room. This provides an ever-changing backdrop to activities in the room, an opportunity for us all to enjoy some great original art, and gives the membership of GSAA a venue to display. We also provide space for the GSAA annual event and exhibit in December. In late May/early June, the Beshara Room and lobby area is transformed into a gallery for the artwork of the students of the Salem school district. Larry Welch, a local artist, has a constant, and constantly changing, selection of his artwork on display up in the New Book area.

I had talked previously about the new nook off the Reference Department providing display space for local artists and finally someone has taken the opportunity. Kyle Massie, a 17 year old from Windham has a variety of his artwork on display this month. He is a bit of a prodigy in art and produces his works in no more than a couple of hours. This is the second time his artwork has been displayed, and it is well worth a moment to take a look.

March was Youth Art Month, and in honor of that, we asked children to bring in their artwork for display. We got some wonderful pieces, and you should make the Children's Room the next stop on your art tour of the library. Do it soon as these pieces of art will be reclaimed all too soon.

And we are all excited about the new art show coming up in May in honor of Older Americans Month. There is an art class over at the Senior Center taught by Angie Sparta and we are delighted at the opportunity to display some of the artwork of the students. It is sure to be a feast for your eyes, so stop by and enjoy.

There is still plenty of display space, so if you are artistic or know an artist and want to display at the library, just let me know. We would be delighted.

Oh, and save this date: Saturday, June 26th at 1PM. Marcia Harris will be giving a demonstration of watercoloring. Remember, you can display what you learned at the Library.

Have you met Elizabeth?

2010-04-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I did a posting about Betty, who has been with the library for years and years. Today, I thought I would talk about one of our newest members of the staff - Elizabeth. Actually, we are closing in on her first year anniversary, but at Kelley, any tenure under 10 years is a newby.

Elizabeth joined us in the reference department and has been a lively addition to the staff. She has a ready laugh, but is serious when dealing with the various questions and requests for help with the computer that she fields each day. I am sure is was an adjustment joining us here at Kelley, a new job, a new state, and most of the staff being years older. But it speaks to her friendly, outgoing nature that she has fitted smoothly into the team.

In addition to her responsibilities at the reference desk and as part of the Teen Department, you might find her leading one of our computer classes. She also maintains our Facebook page and is in the process of developing our Teen page. Obviously, she has quickly become invaluable.

I of course asked her the 5 Questions:

1. Complete the sentence: When I am not at the library, you can find me: at a concert.
2. Describe your perfect day: Time with family and/or friends, a nice meal, live music, and time spent in nature.
3. If you had to live somewhere else than MA, where would it be? Elsewhere in New England.
4. What three things can you always find in your fridge? Yogurt, carrots, and some sort of bean or grain-based dish.
5. You would be surprised to find out that: as a child, my grandfather shook the hand of a woman who had shaken the hand of Abraham Lincoln.

Easy way to read

2010-03-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would like audiobooks because I really hate having anything read to me, but after getting a job some 10 years ago that involved an hour's commute I knew I had to at least try one. Well, in a few short months I found myself frequently sitting at my destination getting in a few more pages. Being stuck in traffic was now a welcome occasion rather than a stressful one. I found it hard to actually read a book now that I was used to listening. Even now when my commute is 5 minutes, I listen my way through many a book.

And just like every audiobook fan, I found that I had favorite readers who made even the most mundane book fascinating. I also found readers that I couldn't stand listening to, some being the stars of the audiobook world. Just today I settled in to enjoy the most recent Elizabeth Berg audio and discovered too late that it had those dreaded words: read by the author. There are probably good readers that are authors, but I have yet to find one (feel free to recommend one). In the case of this book, I am going to have to actually pull out the paper version of the book since I could only tolerate about 2 minutes of it in audio.

Why did I title this post Easy Way To Read? I used to work on a bookmobile, and that kind of tight quarters made overhearing people talking unavoidable. On this particular evening, a regular patron came on with his wife. He was a delightful retired school teacher/principal who was losing his vision. She was, well, kind of mean to him. He was looking at the audiobooks, a format I had recommended since he was beginning to find large print tough to see. She stood there fuming, and said the most stunning thing: "Well, if you want to be lazy about it" . . .

Is listening lazy? I don't know. I find it a way to read when otherwise it would be impossible: commuting, while doing the dishes, while exercising, while vacuuming or other chores, while knitting or other crafts. Audio is invaluable for people with low vision, with limited ability to use their hands, for people who are ill or recovering from surgery. It is really a way to extend the reach of a book.

Speaking of extending the reach, being part of the state's downloadable audio program, we now provide access to downloadable e-books for anyone with a PC, a Sony or Barnes and Noble e-reader device. Be sure to check out this new service here.

Let me know who your favorites (or least favorite) audiobook readers are. I have to say the best I have heard was PD James' The Lighthouse read by Charles Keating. Great voices. But then I like John Rubenstein, Joe Mantegna, and Dennis Boutsikaris - I tend to like actors as readers. I even like Scott Brick. I will be interested to hear what you like.

A selection of audio by Dennis Boutsikaris
A selection of audio by Charles Keating
A selection of audio by Scott Brick

New Website

2010-03-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, you have no doubt noticed that we made some changes to our website. We have been working on this new website for quite a while now - sometimes I thought it would never be ready! But I think it is a great site, reserving the best of our old site while creating a clean, easy to use site featuring some new additions.

Everything you were familiar with and relied on is still on the site. It might be arranged a bit differently, but it is there and organized with similar topics. The new website also reflects some of the change in focus at the library. Information and books are still our primary mission, but we are expanding our programming - as you can see right away on the website. We are also recognizing service to adults with the creation of the Adult Department that deals with the specific needs and interests of our adult users.

The website also has many of our policies, forms, and handouts for ready access from anywhere. All part of our aim to make everything we offer easy to access, readily found and available when you want it. Keep an eye on the site and watch for some further developments and features. We are sure you will like it. Let me know what you think.

Have you met Betty?

2010-02-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you have met Betty - her cheery face is there at the desk greeting us all, making us laugh and adding a bright spot to every day. She has become a bit of a celebrity this week because of the Baked Bean Cook-off - not because she won or she was a judge, but because she was front and center in the local paper's picture of the event. So many people have seen it and commented on it to her, she is almost regretting having come to taste the beans. Almost, but not really, because Betty belongs right there in the mix of things, bringing that ray of sunshine with her. But as much as we all know Betty, we don't really 'know' her so we are asking the 5 Questions of her this time.

1. Complete the sentence: When I am not at the library, you can find me:
At home cleaning.

2. Describe your perfect day: Lounging by the pool on a beautiful, warm and sunny day

3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be? Florida

4. What three things can you always find in your fridge? Hot and spicy V8 juice, cheese and salad.

5. You would be surprised to find out that I: Have lived in the same house since I was 2.

After this, Betty decided she was boring - "I have lived in the same place since I was 2, married to the same man for 47 years, and worked at the same place for 31 years". She's anything but boring, she is fun, funny and you never know what she is going to say next.

Our New Assistant Director

2010-02-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Our new Assistant Director started this week. Her name is Michele Garneau and we were lucky enough to steal her from Manchester City Library. Michele has a wide and varied experience professionally and personally that will be a wonderful asset to our library, our community and our staff.

Michele is from New England (Rhode Island), but as the wife of a career Army man, she has lived and worked in many different places in the US as well as a stint in Germany. With each new Army posting, she found a new job and new experience. With her husband’s retirement from the military, they resettled in New Hampshire, leading to her working at Manchester for eleven years – first as a children’s librarian, then as a cataloger, then as department head.

She is looking forward to the new challenges of working at Kelley and also looking forward to becoming a part of the Salem community. Manchester is part of the GMILCS system, and as a result Michele already knew some of the Kelley staff from meetings and committee work. She is fitting in smoothly and already feels like a long-time member of the staff.

It seemed only right to have her be the second staff person to face the 5 Questions with the Kelley Staff:

1. Complete this sentence: When I am not at work, you can find me: Singing.
2. Describe your perfect day: Getting up early, and having coffee on the deck or at a picnic table. Then a long walk and a lunch at a nice restaurant with good food. Spending the day with my husband.
3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be?: In Arizona to be near my daughter and grandson.
4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge?: Yogurt, salad fixings, eggs - nothing exciting, I am a simple person.
5. You would be surprised to find out that I: ride a motorcycle.

The thrill of competition

2010-01-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce the First Baked Bean Cook-Off at the Kelley Library. We are hosting a cooking competition featuring that pre-eminent New England dish - baked beans. There are two categories that cooks can compete in - traditional from scratch baked beans and 'altered' beans which will feature creative changes to a can of baked beans. Prizes and ribbons will be awarded by our Blue Ribbon Panel of Judges headed by Fire Chief Breen. The event is scheduled for Saturday, February 20. Slots for competitors will be limited, so registration is required. Pick up a registration form at the library or print off our website starting Monday, January 18. Watch for details as the event approaches.

Film: Blazing Saddles
Book: The Beans of Egypt, Maine, by Carolyn Chute

Looking at the past year

2009-12-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year that we all look back over the past year at our accomplishments (or lack of). We are no different here at the library. We were curious to see where we were a year ago, and how we got where we are now. We had made a few plans for the year, and were interested to see whether we had been able to work on the plans, or whether life had gotten in the way - as it has the nasty habit of doing.

I had started the year talking about our plans at going green and remarkably, we did make some real progress. We have reduced the number of notices we mail and print - saving paper that way. We have introduced a very successful recycling program for our daily trash. So successful that we now have easily 3 times as much waiting for the recycling pick-up each week than we have waiting for the garbage pick-up. We reduced the temperature in the winter and raised the temperature in the summer with not much complaint - except for some of those really hot days. We found a non-profit that will pick up our old computer equipment for reuse or recycling. The books that don't sell in our book sales are now being passed on to another non-profit that distributes them around the world. So we are kind of proud of our successes, but are well aware of the long way we need to go, so we will continue the green challenge in the new year.

We were one of the first libraries in the state to offer a circulating Kill-a-Watt tester so that our users could find out what the power usage for their appliances was, and to help find ways to cut back on power use. Just recently, we received 6 more as part of a state library/NH utility companies initiative so that we now have plenty for our patrons. We added significantly to our collection on how to curb your power usage, how to live more 'green', how to do business in a green way, and how to invest in a green future. So we did a bit to help everyone have the opportunity to become a bit more thoughtful when using natural resources.

We also wanted to make the library a bit more welcoming. I think we have some achievements that we can point to. There is that nice comfortable reading area in the back off of the reference department. We made another seating area right in front of the desk, nestled between a new display table and the paperbacks. We gave the children's room a fresh paint job that has perked up the room and the spirits of everyone using the room. We made new signage, cleaned the carpets, created a puzzle table and got a nice big flag to welcome you to the library. We also started a quarterly newsletter to let you know what all is going on at the library. We streamlined the process for booking museum passes so that the process is quick and easy. We got receipt printers that have made the checkout process a bit quicker and easier too. Now you can really know exactly what you have out and when it is due. We moved some of the collections around (not too many and not too much) so that there is more room for what many of you are looking for. So there has been some progress, but again, there is much that we can do in the coming year.

We are kind of proud of what we accomplished this year, as each of you must be thinking about yourself, your family and friends. Even if it is just making it through the year, considering what 2009 challenged us all with, it is an accomplishment to be proud of. Now we can all start fresh with a new year and a new decade.

Giving thanks, giving back

2009-12-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (the 12th) is the Library Board of Trustees annual Holiday Tea. This event is the trustees way of thanking the community for supporting the library. It is a delightful event offering good music and delicious treats. The music is a tradition - the Windham Flute Ensemble. They are planning an upbeat selection of Holiday favorites. Enjoy the music while selecting from a wide variety of teas, hot chocolate and cider, fine pastries and cookies. Join us between 1 and 3.

But what is important is that the Board of Trustees takes the opportunity to thank the community, to give back. And what more appropriate time of year? It seems right during this traditional season of giving to give back and consider ways to express your caring for others.

There is another tradition that is all about caring for others that the Kelley Library has long embraced and will continue this year. We put up a tree in the children's department and one upstairs and decorate them simply, with lights and candy canes. The candy canes can be taken and enjoyed, but only when you give something to our community. The children's tree is for donations of warm mittens, gloves and scarves. These articles of clothing are then passed along to the Salvation Army to give to those in our community who need them. The tree on the main level trades candy canes for food donations. These donations are passed along to several food banks here in Salem, offering a helping hand in these tough times.

So come to the Holiday Tea and enjoy an afternoon of fine music. And next time you come to the library, consider helping your neighbor with a food or mitten donation. We will give you a sweet thanks - remember to take a candy cane.

Thanksgiving redux

2009-11-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

I have talked about books in this blog on occasion, but this time I want to talk about a few movies. Three of my favorite movies are set at Thanksgiving, and I try to revisit them each year. I would like to recommend them to you also.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a great little comedy that catches you off guard at the end, and suddenly you are moved by the loneliness that hides in plain sight around us all. John Candy and Steve Martin are on the top of their game in this film, smoothly moving from slapstick comedy to exposing the humanness of us all. I'm sure this film is known to all, but it is about 2 men trying to get home for Thanksgiving and the challenges they face together to achieve that goal.

Next is Pieces of April, a movie I reluctantly watched after it was recommended to me a number of times. What a wonderful gift of a film it turned out to be. It is a emotionally demanding film, revolving about some sad and tough themes, but well worth the process. How there can be comedy in the midst of a film like this is amazing, but just right. The film is about a ne'er do well daughter living in the big city preparing to provide the family with her first Thanksgiving meal. There are many layers of issues, problems and story. For instance, the mother is fighting what seems to be a losing battle with cancer, and the whole family is having trouble coming to terms with that. I know, it sounds awfully grim - remember I was reluctant to watch it - but if you haven't watched it, try it. It will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry.

The best of the bunch is Home for the Holidays, probably because it celebrates the good and bad about family together - and who can't relate to that? This is one crazy family, but whose family isn't on some level? In this film, one of the daughters who has 'escaped' to a bigger life comes home for Thanksgiving with her life in shambles, a reality she tries to keep to herself. Once again, there is a great deal of comedy blended with serious moments. Nothing is fully resolved, but the underlying strength of family is reaffirmed no doubt to be tested again at another family get together.

What do these films share besides a Thanksgiving theme? Family - in its many forms, with its many challenges and its many rewards. Family may test us at times, but in the end, they are the ones we turn to for support, caring and love. But then, maybe that is just an extension of the Thanksgiving theme. Anyway, give these films a try and let me know what you think.

Planes, trains and automobiles
Pieces of April
Home for the Holidays

Book - I only say this because I love you: how the way we talk can make or break family relationships throughout our lives, by Deborah Tannen

Thanksgiving

2009-11-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is approaching, and as always it is a time to reflect on the many gifts in life. We have been the lucky and thankful recipients of some generous gifts throughout the year. Patrons and community organizations have generously donated. We have a constant river of donated books to stock our book sale area. Recently, we have been given some furniture, the chairs I spoke of earlier and just yesterday two magazine spinners that have been a welcome and wonderful addition to the book sale area. Thank you to all library supporters of all kinds - we couldn't do what we do without you.

Moving on, moving up

2009-10-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

We here at Kelley were all sorry to hear that Andy, our new Assistant Director, had accepted a position elsewhere. Sorry, but not entirely surprised as we all knew that he was meant for a real leadership position. I took a moment of Andy's time to talk to him about his reasons for leaving, his tenure here and a look into the future.

Alison: Why are you leaving Kelley?
Andy: It is exclusively due to an offer for a position long seen as a prime match to personal and professional goals. The timing was entirely due to the unexpected opening at the Rye Public Library, creating a shorter than planned tenure at Kelley.

Alison: What accomplishments are you most proud of here at Kelley?
Andy: Having the programming here take new directions with the success demonstrated by the new ideas paying off. I hope to have the programs mapped out through 2010 before I leave. I also am proud of my role in creating a sense of team here at Kelley. I find it very rewarding seeing the results.

Alison: What are your professional goals?
Andy: To grow in the regional library community. Kelley provided a valuable perspective in terms of scale and demographics. I came from a small library and community and was pleased to be introduced to the breadth of service that can be offered. I will be moving into a community between these two in scale. I am also planning to continue my education. I will have to see how to fit it in between work and family, but I have done it before and enjoyed it.

While I was talking to Andy about his plans, I thought I would take advantage of it to kick off a regular feature of this blog - 5 Questions with the Kelley Staff. I will be asking different members of our great staff the same 5 questions to let you know a little more about the people you see when you visit here.

1. Complete this sentence: When I am not at work, you can find me: with my family doing family activities, particularly outdoor activities.
2. Describe your perfect day: Autumn weather for the cool and the sunshine. Setting out early on some adventure, ideally leaving the car behind. Finishing with good food and friends.
3. If you had to live somewhere else than NH, where would it be?: The Pacific Northwest, or possibly in Alaska.
4. What 3 things can you always find in your fridge?: Cheese, salsa and pickles.
5. You would be surprised to find out that I: was a magician as a youth.

Join all of us here at Kelley in thanking Andy for all he has done for us and the library, and the best of luck in his future. He will be missed.

Music cd: The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary.
Book: Finding the Hat that Fits

Times do change

2009-10-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

We were discussing the annual Holiday Tea and the idea of using card tables this year. Thinking of card tables took me back to when I was a kid, watching my mother get ready for a bridge party. The tables were out and set up with decks of cards, pencils and scorepads. My dad would be busy setting up the bar, making sure there was plenty of ice. My mother had spent some time preparing a variety of good things to eat, of course using the cookie cutters shaped like the various suits.

She would be wearing a dress, heels and pearls - shades of Mrs. Cleaver - and a hostess apron. In case you are too young to remember hostess aprons, these were lovely and frivolous. They were often made of organdy and were really just decorative. But most women had a few, some themed for holidays. It was a standard gift for women, like a tie for a man.

But what struck me was how this form of entertainment, the bridge party, something so central to married life for many years disappeared so completely. While I play cards, I never played bridge, never thought of having a card party. It is remarkable that something so central to our daily life can vanish and not really be missed. The bridge party, the card suit themed kitchen gadgets, the hostess apron, the wacky recipes have all faded away with the Greatest Generation.

I can think of some examples in libraries. Card catalogs, card sorters, typewriters. Just last week we saw another standard library tool get retired - our due date stamper or charger as it is known in the library world. It was invented in 1930 and it was the revolutionary invention for libraries at the time. Automation had begun, and it served us well for many, many years. But, we no longer could get them repaired and we knew we were on borrowed time. So, we gave them a well deserved retirement, and started using receipt printers. We, the staff, are thrilled with the printers, and so are the majority of you. Sad to say, something so central to our lives wasn't missed a bit. Thus the march of time, the voyage onward into the future, kicking the past to the curb.

But if you haven't seen the printers work yet, be sure to check something out - they are really cool!

Book: The Apron book, by EllynAnne Geisel
Book: Antique Trader Kitchen Collectibles
Book: Bridge for anyone, by Shelly De Satnick

Looking for collectors

2009-09-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in a previous post that we were looking for some local artists that would want to display some of their artwork in our 'new' quiet reading area. Be sure to contact us, there is still space to fill.

But speaking of space to fill, we also have some display cases in the lower lobby area. There are times of the year, like right now, that these cases are filled with displays from local organizations. However, there are many times of the year that one, two or all display areas are empty. I would love to be able to showcase a collection that you might have and want to share with the public. I used to have a varied collection of Beatrice Potter items (figurines, dishware, lamp, books) that made a nice display. A woman who made decorative Easter eggs often would display her work, and I had another patron who would display interesting finds she had picked up in her travels.

I know that almost all of us have some kind of collection, so if you are interested in sharing it for a few weeks, we would be delighted to highlight it in one of our cases. Be sure to contact me at the library in person, by phone (898-7064) or by email abaker@salem.lib.nh.us and we will schedule your display right away.

Book: Antiques Roadshow 20th Century Collectibles, by Carol Prisant.

Book: Special museums of the Northeast : a guide to uncommon collections from Maine to Washington, DC, by Stuart Murray.

Book: The banana sculptor, the purple lady, and the all-night swimmer : hobbies, collecting, and other passionate pursuits, by Susan Sheehan

Now accepting donations - of books

2009-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Salemfest weekend is coming up fast, and that is when Kelley Library has its big book sale. We have quite a collection ready, but more is always better. If you have any books, music cds, video, dvds, etc. that you were looking to get out of your house - please consider giving them to us. The money raised at the sale goes right back into our budget to help subsidize a variety of things here at the Library. So, we are looking for items in good condition, no Reader's Digest Condensed or really old text books please, mildewed, falling apart or missing pieces. Children's books are always welcome and sell like hotcakes. Bring any and all donations to the lower lobby under the sign on the stairway wall. Our thanks in advance and hey, come to the sale and stock up on some new stuff.

DVD: Life is worth losing, with George Carlin
Book: Throw out fifty things, by Gail Blanke

Another little change of interest

2009-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to move the big study carrels out of the back corner in the Reference Department, mostly to have all the computers together. Once they were moved out of the space, we found we had quite a nice area available. We pulled in the more creative and artistic members of the staff for suggestions and by the end of the morning we had a new quiet reading area.

I'll grant you it has a bit of the look of a doctor's waiting room, but it won't be that way for long. There is plenty of wall space available there, just right for displaying artwork by our patrons.

The Kelley Library has been lucky over the years to host in the Beshara Room an ongoing and ever-changing display of the wonderful artwork of the Salem Artist's Association. Right over the audiobooks and occasionally elsewhere, Lawrence Welch has his artwork on display. Now we have another space for other artists to use. So if you are of artistic bent and have some pieces you want to display, let us know. You can talk to Alison or Andy about it. Not an artist yourself and know someone who is? Recommend them to us. We will also be delighted to hang examples of needlework - quilts, needlepoint, cross-stitch, crewel.

We want to showcase the great talent of Salem in a variety of ways. Musicians are welcome to our music showcase programs, artists of a variety of types are welcome in this new 'gallery'. We have the venues, let us know about the artists.

How times change . . .

2009-08-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

We all recently commemorated the 40th anniversary of the moon landings and as is common with such events, it led writers to talk about how far we have come since then. That is just a nicer way of saying what we oldsters remember is now ancient history.

I came across one such column in Wired magazine - well the online version. It was a timely piece considering how many of us here at the library are in the midst of evaluating our webpage, trying to decide whether to use Twitter and/or Facebook for marketing our events, and generally trying to decide what newfangled thing is right for the library. It is a delicate balance between keeping at least on the curve while not losing the personal aspect that makes a public library a part of a community.

Anyway, the column was talking about what the younger generations won't remember that are all too familiar to the older generations. You no doubt have seen these kinds of things in the past, but the skew of this article was interesting as it focused on electronic changes, and still included a few library things.

#96 is "Libraries as a place to get books rather than a place to use the internet". I will argue that one. Sure, we do have lots of people using the library for computers and the Internet, but the vast majority of all ages come in for books, magazines, music and movies. I actually think that people who 'back in the day' wouldn't come to the library at all, are now coming to use computers - so we are actually serving more of the community.

Then there is #86: "Finding books in a card catalog at the library". I still hear from people who miss leafing through the cards in a file. Since my first library job was filing catalog cards at a university library (an inch an hour was the expected rate which equalled 100 cards), I remember card catalogs with a mix of fondness and delight that they no longer exist. We all are nostalgic for things in our past, but if we went back to that I believe the nostalgia would vanish quickly. My 3rd library job - this time a small public library in NJ - seemed to involve helping people to unlock the mystery of a card catalog quite often. So much so that I actually created a small book "Bookworming Your Way Through the Catalog" (hey, I was young) to help. Of course it was typed on a typewriter, first printed with a mimeograph, later with the new copier. Remember the old copiers that put a powdery coating on the pages? Just in that one activity, I dealt with 4 things that most young people have never experienced.

So take a look at the article and judge where you are in the generational changes. It is interesting to see how times change in a short time, yet some things remain for generations. I just came back from Maine, having stayed in a cottage that is some 120 years old. There are old pictures on the wall of how it looked back then and we can identify almost all the furniture. That old table works just fine for cards, dinner and our laptop, the chairs remain comfortable, the dishes and silverware work fine for baked beans made from my grandmother's recipe or microwaved meals. Real quality lasts and remains useful, books and libraries are just two such things.

DVD: The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
CD: There is a Season, by The Byrds
Book: Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler (just as a hoot)

2009-07-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

My extended family is gathering this weekend in Maine, and I am off to join them in a few days. Thinking of making the now short, but previously long annual trip to Maine brings memories of traveling in the big family station wagon to visit our grandparents. That trip was something we prepared for for weeks. My mom would seal all open packages of food in the cupboards and clean the house. My dad was in charge of making sure the car was ready for a long trip - washing it inside and out, checking the 'fluids' and so on. My brothers and I would carefully consider and reconsider what we would be sure to take, since we each had only one small suitcase that we could take. The best part of the preparation was going to the bookstore and selecting one book each for the trip - we were gone the whole summer so library books were not an option. We tended towards collections of comics: BC, Peanuts, Pogo. My mother would get a few magazines. My dad didn't get any since he drove the whole way, of course. We weren't allowed to look at the books or magazines until we were actually in the car and on the road. I can remember sitting in the dark car (in the middle of the back seat on the hump of course) waiting until it got light enough to see the pages. We set out as soon after 4 AM as possible, so it was quite a wait. Of course the book was read in the first couple of hours, leaving the next 6 - 8 to travel games like trying to find all the license plates for all the states (no trucks allowed) or racing to do the alphabet from signs along the road (you can do the whole alphabet driving through Worcester either way).

When I started traveling with my own children, then driving the even longer trip from Pittsburgh, PA to Maine to visit the next generation of grandparents, I followed the family tradition - but thought about the voracious appetites my kids had. We went to the bookstore (didn't want to risk forgetting the library books in Maine) and got stacks of books - 5-6 each kid at minimum. The books had to last the whole trip there plus the few days before we could hit the local library. We would leave the books in Maine and get another batch to travel home with. It resulted in a nice library of books there in the cottage in Maine, waiting for our annual visit, inviting us to revisit books we had enjoyed a year or two before, these new books joining old favorites from my childhood - (I read An Old-fashioned Girl the very first night every year). Books are a big part of travel reading still for me, but I acquired my mother's habit of always taking magazines.

There is nothing more comforting than traditions. We embrace them, build on them, and hand them down to the next generation. I am sure my kids will just assume that they need to stock up on books for a trip with their future families - my son stopped on his trip north and had a bunch. This time of year, I see many families coming onto the library to stock up for their trips. More movies than books nowadays, but maybe that is part of that family's traditions. As long as they continue to think of including the library as part of their tradition, I won't quibble.

Book: The book of new family traditions, by Meg Cox
Book: Travel with children: 101 games and ideas to make family travel fun for everyone, by Mary Rodgers Bundren
Movie: Fiddler on the roof

Puzzled

2009-07-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the jigsaw puzzle on one of the tables on the main floor of the library? We are putting out puzzles this summer, letting anyone interested the chance to sit down and try to put in a few pieces. Being a jigsaw puzzle fan from way back, I thought it would be something to do to while away a few moments, be something to do when waiting for a friend or family member to finish browsing, and test the interest in offering puzzles to circulate.

So far it has been a huge success. I put out our first puzzle on Monday - I don't think many of the staff thought there would be much interest and I thought it would take some time to catch on. A young man discovered it early in the morning and worked on it the rest of the day. He put together the 1000 piecer in about 5 hours. So I put out another on Tuesday, and by Wednesday that was done too. I put out the 3rd (again, 1000 pieces, and a bit tougher than the others) on Thursday, and it was slow going. But late this afternoon we noticed a pair of teens working on it. Friends? A date? Who knows. Just a nice thing to do on a hot and lazy afternoon.

We've had some interesting reactions. A number of people came to report that someone forgot their puzzle on a table - so we put out a sign inviting people to work the puzzle. Others have offered to donate their puzzles - a very welcome gesture. Even my enormous store of puzzles won't keep up with the interest being shown!

This all has gotten me thinking about what else to do. Maybe a speed contest. 5 copies of the same puzzle, 5 teams competing to see who finishes first. Maybe we should put out a chess set. It is all part of keeping the mind active, alive and sparking - one of the important roles of libraries.

Margaret Drabble has written a memoir of her life through the lens of the jigsaw puzzles she has done throughout her life. The book, 'The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws', is do out in September and talks about puzzling with her aunt and how doing jigsaws have helped her over rough patches in her life. Sounds like my kind of book.

The Pattern in the Carpet, by Margaret Drabble
Frannie in Pieces, by Delia Ephron
Jigsaw, USA (software)

A welcome change

2009-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you have noticed, but we have made a change with our DVD collection. Previously the collection was too small for the demand, and we have worked hard over the years to increase the size - without neglecting the other parts of our collection, of course. Recently, we decided the time had come, the collection was at a sufficient size, and there was no need to put it off any longer.

You can now reserve our DVDs - old or new. Maybe it doesn't seem like that big a change, but it is already making a big difference to many of our users. Instead of having to haunt the check-in desk trying to grab something good, you can just put a reserve on it and before long it is ready and waiting for you. In addition, we can watch the reserve lists and know just what titles to buy additional copies of to meet the demand. We do this already with our new, popular books and it has worked well for years. We see this as a wonderful enhancement of our service to you.

And as a nice side effect, we are now able to supply DVDs to users of other libraries in our consortium. Our patrons were already calling in DVDs through the online catalog and we thought it wasn't right that we weren't able to share our collection back. Now we can, and the huge benefits to us of being part of GMILCS is reciprocated from us to the other member libraries. It isn't often that a simple change can have so many positive ramifications.

So, reserve away!

1001 movies you must see before you die, edited by Stephen Jay Schneider.

Taking risks

2009-06-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

We are all uncomfortable with trying new things, but there are such benefits. A few weeks ago, Kelley Library hosted the Pontine Theater of Portsmouth for a presentation of their program about ee cummings. I have been coming to all the programs this year, many of which weren't on topics that I would jump to attend. I haven't regretted any of them, and each has spurred me to explore the topic in some way or other.

I mention the Pontine Theater program particularly because ee cummings' poetry was a real trial for me in high school. I just didn't get it at all and came to the program sure that I would still not get it. Let me say that I lucked into one of those wonderful aha moments early in the program. Several poems were projected for background and reference during the overview of ee's life. There it was, the lack of punctuation, the lack of caps, the odd layout - the high school nightmare was returning, when one of the presenters said the simplest of comments. ee was creating a pattern that would mirror itself in the poem - the beginning mirrored the end. The content was important, but the precision of pattern was equally important. There was the aha. Suddenly it all fell into place, made sense and I could finally appreciate this respected poet.

I have had similar ahas over the years - watching the history channel (another thing I normally avoided) the cause of WWI suddenly made sense due to one simple sentence (and it wasn't just the Archduke assasination we all learned). Watching remedial math years ago (desperation early in the morning with a cranky baby) fractions suddenly made sense. The list goes on. I have often wondered why teachers didn't provide these simple explanations, but thanks to trying something different, something new, I finally did get the explanations.

Libraries often talk about lifelong learning, too often creating the idea that as we age we will be busy studying like back in school. Lifelong learning to me is finding these nuggets of information when I least expect it and heading off to find out more on the topic. I think this is why non-fiction has grown in popularity at libraries. No longer the dry books of the past that challenged even the most dedicated readers, there are now wonderful books being written as interesting, thrilling, and fun to read as any fiction book. I never used to read non-fiction and started to mostly due to my job. Now, I find it the best read there is.

So, take a chance, try something outside of your comfort zone, say yes to something new. You might be surprised where you end up going.

Yes Man, by Danny Wallace (way, way, way better than the movie)

Wild Trees, by Robert Preston

Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks

Survey revisited

2009-05-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

We have gotten a lot of surveys returned either from the webpage or in hard copy and I want to thank everyone that has done one. There is still a couple of days for you to fill one out if you haven't taken a moment to do so. Pick up a survey at the library or take a quick moment to go here to do it. Why? Because we want to hear what you think. A few minutes of your time will have a big impact on your library. You can be confident about one thing, I pay attention to what our users are saying and follow through. Your time is far too valuable to waste. I already know some things we will be doing in response to this survey: expand the audiobook collection focusing on new titles and big authors; expand our large print focusing on best sellers, big authors and non-fiction; and we will be keeping videos of movies that we don't have and/or can't get in DVD. You told us, we listened.

Outreach

2009-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

One of the many services offered by the Kelley Library is one that not many people know about. However, it is a service that has a huge impact on those that benefit from it. For many years now, the Library has offered home delivery of books and other materials to residents who are unable to get to the library due to age or infirmity. Anne Pepin (who you probably know from her work at the main desk and is famous for her work on our garden) has been doing the home delivery for over 25 years after taking it over from someone who had also been doing it for years. Home delivery is now an expected service of libraries, but Kelley has been doing it longer than most.

It is an enormously rewarding service. The people who get home delivery have a limited world beyond contact with caregivers, family and trips to the doctor. A visit from Anne with a fresh supply of reading is a bright spot in a quiet life. It is someone new to talk to, a fresh source of news about the community, and a chance to have something new to read or listen to. Anne has many stories that she will share here at a later date, but it all comes down to a deep understanding of how important this service is to her people. It makes it worth trudging and driving through snow, ice and rain to make her monthly visit.

Soon after I started here, Joan Fardella, now a Library Trustee, came to me with an idea for providing this service. She knew I had worked with a bookmobile service which brought books to elderly people in assisted living facilities, and thought we could start our own 'bookmobile' - Joan in a car. When she discovered that we already provided that service, she was delighted that she would be able to help expand the program. That idea has grown over the past months to Mobile Books, an extension of the fine work Anne continues to do. Joan is providing home delivery to anyone who can't get to the library due to illness, physicial handicap or any limitation. The program kicked off on May 1st, and Joan is now accepting requests for service. Interested in arranging for home bound delivery to someone you know? Please call the library at 603-898-7064 or email me at abaker@salem.lib.nh.us and we will get the process started.

Book: The Camel Bookmobile, by Masha Hamilton
Book: Mystery of the Bewitched Bookmobile, by Florence Parry Heide
Website: Floating Bookmobiles
Website: Camel bookmobiles - (scroll down the page a bit)
Website: Mule Bookmobiles

New Survey says . . .

2009-04-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

A while back we conducted a survey concerning the Children's Department. It brought to light what users of the department liked and disliked, enjoyed and wanted more of, and what suggestions they had for us to improve the department. In previous posts I have discussed what we have done in response to the survey suggestions. It worked out so well, we have developed a similar one for the Adult Department.

You can find the survey link on the main page of our website or click here. It is only 10 questions, so I hope you will take a moment to give us your thoughts and ideas. Ask your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to fill one out too - especially any that don't use the library. We want to hear from as many people as possible. We will have some paper copies for those of you that prefer the more traditional way to take a survey.

And as with the Children's Room survey, I will keep you posted on the results and what we will be doing to meet the ideas from the survey.

What's new for April

2009-04-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

We are offering a variety of programs aimed at adults this month. That's something new for Kelley Library right there. We saw a need to expand programming at the library and thanks to Andy, our new Assistant Director, we are offering three.

Of course, we are offering the next in the KLAS series (thanks as always, Deb)on April 16th and this month's session is sure to be fascinating, building on the growing desire right now to eat local and homegrown. Liz Barbour from Creative Feast is presenting a program exploring cooking and gardening with herbs. I have had extensive personal experience with both these as my mother was a member of the Herb Society of America for years, has extensive herb gardens (outdoors in Maine and NJ, and in her greenhouse in NJ), lectured on the topic, edited the Herbarist, and used herbs in everything. I highly recommend your exploring this varied and fascinating topic. It can range from a plant or two on your kitchen windowsill to enhance your cooking to exploring your inner gardener and creativity with an herb garden.

On April, 22nd we are celebrating Earth Day with a panel of experts discussing alternative and green energy sources and practices. On hand will be Peter Rudd from Salem's Atlantic Biodiesel, Jack Lin from Woodlins Renewables also here in Salem, Jeff Goodman from the Wind Guys USA in Rye, and Howard Coffman of Fuel Cell Info Network in Nashua. We are lucky and honored to have these well-respected individuals on hand to help us all explore the future of alternative energy and to answer our questions. It is a timely topic - wind energy is being vigorously debated in NH right now. Alternative fuel is sure to be a part of our country's future, and here is the perfect opportunity to learn more about it all.

Rounding out the month, we are offering a Job Search Workshop on April, 23rd. Although New Hampshire has not been as hard hit by the recession/depression/bad times as other areas of the country (like our neighbors Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont), many are looking for jobs in this exceptionally difficult job market. Michael Markham of the Northern Essex Community College will be at Kelley Library to offer tips, guidance and insight into what employers are looking for in prospective employees.

Three remarkably different programs, yet similar in the end - helping us to understand the world around us, find new ways to live in these challenging and changing times, and ideas to challenge, inform and spark creativity. That's a library in a nutshell. A single source for a broad spectrum of information and resources to enhance your life.

Little herb gardens, by Georgeanne Brennan.
How to say it: job interviews, by Linda Matias.
Farewell my Subaru: an epic adventure in local living, by Doug Fine

Changes

2009-03-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

We have all done it or experienced it. A rule, policy or procedure is created to solve problems at hand and it works great. Over time, the rule becomes ingrained in life and we no longer really think about it any more. It is just part of daily life, part of doing business, part of running the household. Unfortunately, too often the reasons that made the rule a great solution change or disappear over that same passage of time. What's left is a rule we continue to follow and enforce without any basis.

That's why it is vital to review the rules and traditions in our lives and see if they are still a good fit. We are doing just that at the Kelley Library - and we continue to find some that needed to be changed. I've been working the desk a lot recently - and I've had to enforce the rules. Being new, I wanted to know the reasons behind some of them and we all realized that the reasons were no longer valid.

For some years, there have been limits on the number of items that can be checked out - limits on music CDs, VHS, audiobooks of all kinds, DVDs. These limits made a lot of sense when they were created. These collections were small and slowly developing. To make sure there were enough for everyone, it was decided that a patron could only take out 4 of each. Well, these collections have grown, and in some cases, peaked in popularity and are now fading in interest. So, thanks to the service minded Board of Trustees, as of April 1, these limits are being lifted. Come on in and go crazy - we won't say no. And as a little added bonus, we dropped the fines on VHS - no more $1.00 per day. As of April 1, adult VHS will be $.10 per day and children's VHS will have no fines like the rest of the children's collection.

But we are keeping limits on the popular DVD collections - raised to 5 per card - but limits remain. Our new video game collection will also remain limited to 5 per card. Why? Because these collection are still too small to keep up with the demand. We are busy working to enlarge the collections, but for now, the limits - and the $1.00 fines - remain.

For now, but rest assured, we will revisit this rule regularly and when the time is right - changes will happen. In the meantime - we hope you enjoy what changes have been made.

Book: Strategies for successful career change: finding your very best next work life, by Martha E. Mangelsdorf
Music: Dance into the Daylight, by Phil Collins
Music: MTV Unplugged, by Bob Dylan

Survey says . . . part 2

2009-03-09T17:16:00.001-07:00

Last month I talked about the Playaway audiobook collection purchased in response to the survey conducted recently about the Children's Room. By the way, the collection is now available - take a moment on you next visit to the Library to take a look. Programming for kids got a big response in the survey with a great deal of interest from kids and parents alike. We have been working on that too and I will keep you posted as we progress.

We have already kicked off programming for tweens and teens with a Teen Advisory Group. Cathy (Children's Department) and Andy (Assistant Director) are working with a group of kids to develop a teen page on the website. The first teen page meeting is scheduled for after school on March 26th and is cleverly called HTeenML. The kids are going to be responsible for the design, content and upkeep of the page. Not only will this offer a creative outlet for the kids and offer some experience in using web design software and languages, the library will benefit from the ideas, inventiveness and imagination of the kids. Talk about win win.

There is no limit to what will develop from the Teen Advisory Group - book discussions (Twilight?), Book Buddies mentoring younger readers, crafts (I would like to see 'trees' growing in the Children's Room - like this only more and bigger), video gaming - playing and creating - where ever their interests lead us. It will be a fascinating journey.

Create your own website, by Scott Mitchell
Creating web pages for dummies, by Bud E. Smith

Sale of the month

2009-02-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of our annual magazine sale. Here is your chance to get a full year's (monthly) or a big bundle (weekly) of a magazine for a buck. How can you beat that? The Kelley Library subscribes to over 300 magazines so there are a lot to pick from. Being a recipe junky - I collect with good intentions, and occasionally actually try them - I am sorely tempted by those bundles of cooking magazines. I have already given in once and bought the bundle of Gourmet magazines - and have ripped out a ton of recipes to add to the pile. But you know, there are so many that are tempting - after all it is only a buck. Arthritis Today - could be helpful in helping with those aches and pains. New Hampshire to Go - tempting, since I am new to the area (but it is already gone - I snoozed and lost). Those needlework magazines, the In Style and other decorating titles . . . I could buy them all. And then when I think about my family I am further tempted. The only thing holding me back is knowing I will have to take them over to the transfer station to recycle and you know, that arthritis makes it tough to do.
So stop in and take a browse, it's amazing what a buck can still get for you: help in remodeling your home, world travel without spending more than a buck, inspiration for the garden you are making plans for now that spring is almost here, trips through history, valuable help in dealing with your kids. They talk about a bang for your buck - you can really find it at the Kelley Library right now.

Up for renewal: what magazines taught me about love, sex, and starting over, by Cathy Alter
Whatcha mean, what's a zine? : the art of making zines and mini comics, by Mark Todd

Tis the season

2009-02-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's February and tax season is upon us all. It is a busy time for a public library as people desperate for one tax form or another come in, confident that they will find it there. At the risk of showing my age, I can remember when forms were easy to find - at the post office, the DMV, federal offices of all kinds, local and state offices, even the liquor store! Those days are long gone. Between the various branches and levels of government trying to move to paperless filing and reducing their costs and the chore that providing forms is, the sources for forms has dwindled down to libraries and tax services. The easy excuse nowadays is that these forms are available online.

And that is why libraries still continue to offer the forms. Yes, the forms are available online, and the websites for forms are fairly easy to navigate. Yet, there is a presumption on the government's side - that everyone owns a computer or has easy access to one. We in the library biz know this is not accurate. Those who need access to forms the most are the least likely to have ready access to a computer. People don't all have friends and family that can help them find the right form. And those instruction booklets. Try using them online - it takes a sophisticated computer user to get at the information they need.

So that is why libraries are a good fit for offering the forms. Libraries are here to help people find information that they need. Librarians are working to help guide people to the right source, to show people how to use the internet, how to fill out forms. So come on in - we'll be there to help you find the form you need. Try our website - we have easy links to the online form sources. We are there to help with everything except giving you tax advice - that is for a different professional. Of course we can help you find a list of those too.

America: who really pays the taxes, by Donald L. Barlett
JK Lasser's 1001 deductions and tax breaks: your complete guide to everything deductible

Survey says . . .

2009-01-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

At the end of last year we conducted a brief survey about what we offer in and through the children's department. The questions topics ranged from the collection to the programming to computers. Like the best of surveys, we learned some interesting and very helpful things. The respondents fell evenly into 2 distinct groups - parents and teen/preteen users. What might be surprising is that their responses were fairly similar - except for computers.

We asked if we should offer internet access in the children's room. Right now, only the online catalog is available, and we thought perhaps it was time to revisit. Over half the parents saw no reason to offer the internet, citing concerns with policing it and it not being necessary since access could be found elsewhere. Overwhelmingly, the kids wanted it. So we are looking into a couple of options: 1) Offer access to our online databases only so that doing homework and research could be enhanced, and 2) Find some good filtering product so that policing usage would not be an issue. Our goal is to make sure that kids have the same quality access and services offered to our adult users while remaining mindful of protecting our young patrons.

Many respondents told us that the kids audiobook collection (cassette and CD) wasn't good enough. Improving that collection is a goal for this year. (In fact it is a goal for the adult collection too, but will be another day's topic.) We have started in a big way by putting together a collection of a new audiobook format - Playaways. These are a nifty product that has no tapes or discs to get lost or damaged, and looks and feels similar to ipods. They are book and player all in one, and we thought kids would be the perfect test group for them. Watch for this collection to be ready for use within a few weeks.

We want to hear your ideas and suggestions. Your comments do have significant impact. Take the time to let us know either by talking to us directly or sending your comments through this blog or our webpage.

Books: Julie and Romeo, by Jeanne Ray
How to protect your children on the Internet, by Gregory S. Smith

Looking ahead

2009-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

So a new year begins, bringing with it all sorts of possibilities. We all enter each year fairly sure of what to expect during the year - your child is graduating, your parents are planning to move to a warmer climate, this is the year you plan to finally paint the living room. But by the end of the year, we look back and realize we have ended up in a far different place than expected.

Here at the library, we are trying to start the year right - we are going green, well at least greener. It is an ambitious plan and so we intend to move slowly but steadily in the 'green' direction. You may have already seen the blue recycling bins here and there around the library. We decided to take advantage of Salem participating in single stream recycling and expand our recycling efforts in the library. This small step has had a big impact - we now have 3 huge bins for our recycling pick-up and a much reduced amount of trash.

Next we reduced our temperature for the building by a couple of degrees. It hasn't been a tough change to adapt to, and we have reduced our fuel consumption quite noticeably. We just recently reduced the temperature another degree because you told us it was too warm.

Now on to our next step. We are reducing our paper consumption through a variety of changes in routines. One that will impact our users is our plan to reduce the number of notices we send out. Right now we send out a notice to let you know a reserved item is in for pick-up and of course, overdue notices. Each notice involves a full sheet of paper plus large envelope. We soon will be sending out only 2 overdue notices, rather than our current three.

This might be a bit of a shock for some of our users, so we are hoping to convince as many of you as possible to give us an email address. With an email address in your record, all notices - reserve and overdue - are sent electronically - you even get a reminder the day before that your books and movies are due the next day. We are even offering a bit of an incentive. Give us your email address and you can take a chance on winning a Dunkin Donuts gift card. If you already have your email in your account, you can take a chance too. The bonus for us all is that with an email address, we reduce all possible notices to just one in paper form - a great change!

Reducing the amount of mail we send - and currently it is running at about 75 letters a day - will reduce our paper consumption, our ink consumption (fewer catridges going into land-fills), there will be fewer letters to deliver, thus leading fuel savings for the post office.

That's what is interesting about the green process. Even the smallest of changes have a rippling impact on our environment and use of resources. We are very excited about the positive effects of our small changes. Maybe you will join us in this green plan. Make a few changes in your habits, and see the big changes that will happen. Check out how to increase the recycling of your household trash. Reduce the temperature in your house a degree. Give us your email and stop getting those pesky letters!

But as always, we can only imagine what will unfold as the year progresses. We will have to stop and take notice of just how green we are by the end of 2009. I'm sure we will be surprised to see where we are, I hope it is surprised pride at our level of green.

Books: The complete guide to a green home, by Philip Schmidt
This year I will: how to finally change a habit, keep a resolution, or make a dream come true, by MJ Ryan
DVD: Inconvenient truth

The Beginning

2008-12-31T13:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Kelley Library blog. This will be a biweekly column to inform, to entertain (I hope!) and to introduce you to some of the interesting events, resources, books, and goings on at the library. It can be a challenge to make sure that all our users - current and potential - hear about all what the Kelley Library has to offer and this blog will just be one of many paths. Coming up with a good name for the blog was an interesting process, and I think I hit on one that is appropriate for a library column: As the Page Turns. Look for it on our webpage.

Who am I? Well, I am the director here at Kelley. I've been here for about 6 months now, and am delighted to be working at Kelley and living in Salem. I hope you realize what a great part of the country this is. I came from Pittsburgh, PA and after seeing this am happier than ever that I no longer live there. I welcome your comments, suggestions, ideas and questions. I will respond to all, and post your comments to the blog to share with all the readers. And I will be listing books, movies and music with each posting (see at the bottom of this posting). They will all have some relationship to the topic of the posting, but sometimes the connection might take some thought - like today's. Let me know if you get the connection. Have I read or seen all of the ones I will list? To be honest, no. But they will all be part of our collection and well worth a look.

Welcome, hope you will make it a habit to come back regularly.

Books: Laughing till it hurts: the complete life and career of Carol Burnett, by J. Randy Taraborrelli