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.