The places we will go . . .

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

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

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

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!

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

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