Favorite Titles of 2009

It's time to take a look back and see what we read in 2009 - and "we" means everybody reading this!

What was good? What wasn't? Did you discover a new author? Break into a different genre? See what our staff has been reading on our Shelfari page if you're a member, or stop by our Staff Picks & Recommended Reads shelf here at the library.

Personally, I read a crazy amount of Young Adult books this year. My reflection? YA is full of series these days - everything is either already part of a series or the start of a new one. This makes it easy to keep reading - when you find a story you like, there will be more - but super frustrating when you're waiting for the next book (like I'm waiting anxiously for the third in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins - not expected until next fall, yikes!).

So help me keep my sanity while I'm waiting. What have you read in 2009 that you think was a 'don't miss'?

Word Woman

Welcome to the final entry of Word Woman for 2009! I'm looking forward to digging up new words to share with you in 2010. It might interest you to know that Word Woman has been busy expanding your vocabulary for just over two years now. That's a lot of words! Exactly how many I'm not sure at the moment, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to look back and create a list of all the words we've shared so far. Does anyone else out there have a New Year's resolution for 2010? I'd love to hear about it if you do. In the meantime, here is the Word of Week to give you something to think about:

Bois de vache: French for cow chips, or buffalo manure (later cow manure), used as a fuel; literally, wood of the cow; Americanized to bodewash. Making fires with buffalo chips was a necessity on the plains because trees were few and far between. -- "Dictionary of the American West", Winifred Blevins, Facts on File, Inc., New York, 1993.

Example: "To put it politely," Amanda told Steven, "I consider your excuse for forgetting our anniversary to be sheer bois de vache."

"How To" Do the New Year

January 1st is lurking around the corner waiting for you to resolve to be a better human being. There are countless books designed to help all who participate in the tradition of making resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more, de-stress, etc., but why go with the same-old, same old? This year, why not resolve to do something unexpected?!

To assist you in your New Year resolution quest, I've compiled the following list of "how to" books:

How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell
J COWELL

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
Y CABOT

How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Y ZIEGLER

How to Find Flower Fairies by Cecily Mary Barker
JE BARKER

How to Get Kids to Help at Home by Elva Anson
649.1 ANSON

How to Get on Reality TV by Matthew Robinson
791.456 ROBINSO

How to Hunt Ghosts: a practical guide by Joshua Warren
133.1 WARREN

How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law by Dorothy Cannell
CANNELL

How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson
Y NICKERS

How to Drive an Indy Race Car by David Rubel
J 796.76 RUBEL

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
641.5 BITTMAN

How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less by Milo Frank
658.45 FRANK

How to Grow World Record Tomatoes by Charles Wilber
635.6425 WILBER

How to Hold a Crocodile /Diagram Group
Y 031.02 HOW

Showing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Come in from the cold and enjoy the latest Harry Potter DVD release, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".

With the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Wizards and Muggles alike are in danger from Death Eaters. It is up to Harry to find the key to unlocking Voldermort's great power and prepare for the battles that are yet to come.

Join us in the Large Meeting Rm at 2pm today, December 29th. You can't afford to miss this 6th installment of the Harry Potter Series.

New Arrival in Graphic Lit

Infinite Typewriters by Jonathan Rosenberg
Book One of the Infinite Pendergast Cycle
CALL #: GL ROSENBE

"It's not as if one decides to wake up one day, argue existentialism with livestock, and fly a spaceship to the center of the galaxy to meet, greet --and eat-- God. It just sort of happens. At least it does in the world of Goats, the cult-hit webcomic wherein a clutch of brave if baffled barflies (including humans, chickens, and a cyborg goldfish) hit the interdimensional bricks to save the multiverse from certain doom kicked off by a cosmic computer glitch. You can't make this stuff up--unless you're one of the monkeys tapping on infinite typewriters who controls all reality. You'll see..."

Branch hours

School's out for the week, which means our library branches that are in school buildings will have modified hours. Folks outside of the city in quest of good books and movies will want to take note of when we're open...

The Frenchtown Branch, located in Frenchtown High School, is closed. It will reopen for regular hours Dec. 29.

The Seeley Lake Branch, located in Seeley-Swan High School, will be open on the following hours:
Saturday Dec. 26 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monday Dec. 28 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday Dec. 30 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 2 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
It will return to its normal hours after Jan. 2.

Find more info on our branches here.

Gnome for the Holidays

A very merry Christmas to everyone. The library is closed, and while the staff is out with their friends and family, the gnomes are having their own tiny celebration in their Gnome House today. Looks like Santa left a few presents under their tree! Enjoy your holiday and we'll see you tomorrow.

Christmas Eve Day at the library

Back by popular demand, here's a holiday favorite composed by our very own staff member, Laura, originally posted last year at this time...

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the stacks,
People were looking for trade paperbacks.

And books on CD to help pass the time
during holiday travel or waiting in line

To buy that last gift, it had been a long haul
And they needed a way to escape from it all.

So off to the library they wandered in quest
Of a good book to read that stood out from the rest

Or maybe a holiday music CD
To play while they finished trimming the tree

Or even a kids' Christmas book to be read
To help restless children get settled in bed.

Then up to the checkout, arms full, they did dash
Where friendly staff helped them check out in a flash,

They packed their selections and went on their way
With a wave and a smile and a "Happy Holiday!"

As they left the building, I heard them all say:
"We're so glad you're open on Christmas Eve Day!"

The library is open until 6 p.m. today. We're closed Dec. 25, but reopen at 10 a.m. on Dec. 26.
Happy Holidays from the staff at Missoula Public Library!

12 Reads of Christmas

Even librarians get into the spirit. Wish I could take credit for this fun page, but I can't. What I can do it share it with you...

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Teen Book Style

It also happens to be a fun spot for finding reviews on teen lit.

Have you read any of these? Tell us what you thought, leave us a comment today!

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! This is the season of giving, so give your brain some quality time by doing crossword puzzles, sudoku or just curling up with a good book. Here's the Word of the Week for a little mental warm-up:

Epitome: An 'epitome (Greek epitemnein—to cut short) is a summary or miniature form; an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment.

Many documents from the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds survive now only "in epitome", referring to the practice of some later authors (epitomators) who wrote distilled versions of larger works now lost. Some writers attempted to convey the stance and spirit of the original, while others added further details or anecdotes regarding the general subject. As with all secondary historical sources, a different bias not present in the original may creep in.

Documents surviving in epitome differ from those surviving only as fragments quoted in later works, and those used as unacknowledged sources by later scholars, as they can stand as discrete documents, albeit refracted through the views of another author.

The word is often mispronounced; its correct English pronunciation is IPA: [əˈpɪtəmi].

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitome, last modified on 17 December 2009 at 03:41.

Example: The broken window in the den, which had gone unrepaired for the entire 20 years that they had owned their home, was the epitome of Bob and Jane's dilapidated marriage.

Cookies & Crafts

Cookies and crafts are 2 holiday classics, so we combined them for today's program. Families can decorating sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles, then stay to create an ornament, candy cane holder, or holiday art. And, of course, you get to take it all home when you're done. Here are some creative geniuses at work:

We're still decorating until 3 p.m. today in the large meeting room on the lower level, so stop by for a sweet treat. More pics on our Flickr page.

You Ask, We Answer

What would you like to know about the library? Comment here or fill out a yellow slip the next time you're in the building. Here's another topic library users have on their minds...

The library isn't just about books. Sure, we have an amazing selection of titles to read, but you can find so much more here including music CDs, DVDs, and audio books. These non-paper materials take a different approach to maintenance, and you asked us how we care for our discs.


There's nothing more frustrating than getting a CD or DVD home and discovering it doesn't play well because of a scratch. If a CD or DVD looks well-loved and has a scratch or 2, we temporarily take it out of circulation for care. First, we check it out to a "patron" called repair. That way, you don't expect to find it on the shelf. Then, we send it downstairs to our technical services area where it is administered to, using our new polishing machine. The machine, which we purchased last month, works on CDs and DVDs alike.

How do we decide which discs to polish? We rely partly on you to tell us if one isn't working properly. We also plan to start a rotation in the coming months, in which we will check the discs on the shelves and identify those that need a good polishing up. This will not only keep our collection in the best condition it can be, but will ensure you get a quality item when you check something out at the library.

Let us know what's on your mind! Ask a question, we'll answer it.

A Special Guest at Story Time

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And we will have a special guest at our Story Time on December 18, 19 and 23 (see below for times.)

Now who could that special guest be?
I don't want to spoil the fun, but here are some hints.

He loves the color red.
Reindeer are his favorite animals.

He drives a sleigh.
He loves all the girls and boys.

Don't miss this very special guest. Come to one or all of our Story Times on Friday, Dec 18th at 10:30am, Saturday, Dec 19th at 11:00am or Wednesday, Dec 23 at 7:00pm.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Gearing up for job searching

This morning 2 of our staff had the opportunity to conduct "mock interviews" at Hellgate High School to help prepare the students for job or school interviews. It was a very cool experience for both them and us, and got me to thinking about the many resources the library has to help prepare for something that can be a nerve-wracking experience.


Our shelves are stocked with books to help you with each step of the process from resume writing (see titles like "The 30-Minute Resume Makeover" and "Knock 'em Dead Resumes") to job interviews, and even specialized focuses like marketing your military experience. Find these in our non-fiction shelves under 650.14. There are lots more in our catalog.


Or, if you're more of a listener, we have audio books both on CD here in the building and downloadable from any Internet connection. Listen to tips on "Nailing the Job Interview" or "Acing the Interview" and feel confident when you walk into that meeting.


And, best of all, we have online help. Look on our home page under Electronic Resources for Learn-a-Test. Despite its name, this resource is more than just tests. It has an entire section on resumes, interviewing, job searching, and even business writing. And you can use it from any Internet connection.


If you're working on a resume, ask at the Reference Desk to use our word processing rooms on the upper level - it saves you from having to wait for a turn in Web Alley and lets you work in peace.


The new year is approaching, and new jobs await!

Books on My Desk

Coming Soon to a Library Shelf Near You...

New Young Adult Arrivals:

Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen
14-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. Finn is hoping for a job where he doesn't have to talk to anyone except his buddy, Matthew. Then he meets Johanna, who's living next door. She's a graduate student in her twenties, cool and funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Johanna is dealing with breast cancer, and Matthew and Finn help take care of her--and come to care for her. When she hires Finn to create a garden, his efforts backfire comically. Call # Y PAULSEN

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor
Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world famous chef, but up to now, his only experience has been watching the Food Network. When Toby lands a job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His coworkers, Annabel & Strobe are cool, and Toby loves being part of a team. But none of them is prepared for what's really going on at Killer Pizza: It's a front for a monster-hunting organization!
Call #: Y TAYLOR

Shooting Star by Frederick McKissack
Bigger, Stronger, Faster... Juiced. Jomo Rodgers finished his first year on varsity hearing "if onlys," as in, if only he were bigger. His talent on the field is easy to spot, and local papers and college recruiters are taking notice. But Jomo decides he wants to be more than merely good. He plunges into a new workout regimen that will make him stronger and faster. But is that enough? A little juice--as in steroids-- might be the difference between being good and being great. It's an easy choice that is about to make Jomo's life a whole lot harder. Call #: Y MCKISSA

Kiss of Life: a generation dead novel by Daniel Waters
Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels nearly as isolated as her dead friends. Just when she'd reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her homecoming date, Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam proves his love by taking a bullet for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has two dead boys in her life -- one who saved it, and one wo she can't seem to live without. Call #: Y WATERS

New Readers' Choice

We just added "Meltdown: a free-market look at why the stock market collapsed, the economy tanked, and government bailouts will make things worse", by Thomas E. Woods, Jr., to our READERS' CHOICE POWER WALL.

Check it out and our other Staff and Patron Picks! If you have a favorite or recommended item, we'd love to display it on our Power Walls. Just fill out a lavendar Recommendation Card and give it to any staff person. Or, better yet, you can comment here about any book, dvd, music cd that you would like featured.

You Ask, We Answer

Here's another topic on your minds. Do you have a question about the library? Comment here, or fill out a yellow comment form the next time you're in the building!

Flu Season Care

The library is a public place where people can share books, movies, music, information - and germs. We've had some questions from folks about what we do to keep the place healthy.

In public areas: We wipe down all our keyboards and common surfaces on a regular basis. This takes a while, but it's very important in maintaining the health of our community. And, of course, we always have hand soap available in our restrooms. We encourage all our visitors to take the commonly recommended precautions including washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, sneezing into your sleeve, and avoiding touching your face.

In children's activities: We spoke with the Missoula County Heath Department regarding the plush toys we traditionally offered in Tiny Tales events. The flu virus can remain on cloth for six hours, so we decided to not offer the toys in Tiny Tales until the flu season is over.

You can get information on H1N1 and Missoula's flu season from Missoula County Health Services or by calling the flu hotline at 258-4636. Have a happy, healthy winter!

Word Woman

Welcome to another weird and wonderful installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! It's cold outside, so warm up your brain cells with a bit of mental exercise. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Abstemious: (ab-stee-mee-us) [adjective] moderate in eating and drinking. -- "The New York Times Everyday Reader's Dictionary of Misunderstood, Misused, Mispronounced Words", Laurence Urdang, Ed., Weathervane Books, The New York Times Book Company, 1972.

Example: Janet was scrupulously abstemious during the holiday season, consequently she was able to make a different New Year's resolution than she had in years past. Instead of resolving to lose ten pounds, she vowed to buy herself a new wardrobe.

A tree, a tree

The library's holiday tree is boasting some fantastic, colorful ornaments, thanks to Lolo Brownie Troop 3568. The Brownies stormed the lobby last night to share their hand-made ornaments with the rest of the Missoula community. If you feel like getting into the spirit of the season, you should stop by and enjoy the beautiful sight. And the cinnamon ornaments make it smell good, too. Thanks girls!

We have some more photos on our Flickr stream.

Online Library

Finding it a bit too cold to venture outside to visit the library? Do not fret - you still have access to online library materials at http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/ -- your portal to The Missoula Public Library's Virtual Branch Library.

From the homepage you have access to MontanaLibrary2Go downloadable audio book service, a self-paced online Web 2.0 class, 24-hr Reference service, and online book clubs. You can also click the "e-Databases" link to view a listing of online resources available free of charge with your library card. Some popular databases include:

• NovelList Plus -find a good book to read. Take a look at the Author Read-alikes, "What We're Reading"suggestions, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and Annotated Book Lists.
  
• Heritage Quest -research your family history
  
• Auto Repair Reference Center -find automotive information dating back to 1945 for all major makes and models of vehicles. Also includes basic care and repair tips and a troubleshooting guide
• Alexander Street Press Online Music -create playlists and listen online for free to music from the Classical Music Library, Smithsonian Global Sound, or African American Song. For a fee you can download music to your PC.

These are just a few examples of online resources you have access to from home. To find more, explore the library's homepage or call us at 721-BOOK.

Post a comment & tell us what online library resources you use from home!

Parade of Lights

Missoula Public Library bundled up and hit the town Saturday evening for the Parade of Lights. We were on track to share some holiday cheer when we unveiled our Book Train in the parade, complete with the bookmobile wrapped and ready to go as a present to our readers.

The Parade may be over, but we're still having fun at the library - stop by and see our train in-person on display in the lower lobby. Oh, and check out a book while you're here!

You Ask, We Answer

We get a lot of great suggestions and questions in our comments box here at the library, and it's high time we shared! Every week we'll focus on a topic that you want to know about the library. So, if you're in the building, go ahead and fill out one of our yellow comment cards to get your topic in the spotlight. OR, since you're already reading this blog, make a comment now. We love to hear from you!

Libraries Gone Hi-Tech

Self-checkout machines and a DVD kiosk - the library has gone through some major changes in the past year. Some of you might wonder if technology really does make life better. In the library, the answer is yes.

For years we received requests from our users to allow more privacy in checking out materials. Some folks have personal concerns that they are researching, and don't want to share with the general population. We understand, and we responded to your needs. Our new self-checkout machines allow patrons the privacy they deserve while cutting down on the lines at the Accounts Desk to make checking out a faster and easier process. Before our self-checkout was introduced, it was normal to see lines wrap across the entryway. Now, there is seldom a wait of a more than a minute or two. And no one sees what you're checking out but you.

Which brings me to our second hi-tech tool, the DVD MediaBank. Missoula has a variety of residents, even some who are less honest than others. When our feature films started to go missing we looked for a better means of securing them. The MediaBank allows for full browsing by a variety of interests, and checks out the movie to the user before it hands over the DVD. But security was only part of our reason for using this new technology - folks who want to check out a movie don't have to wait with those checking out other materials so lines are shorter, your privacy is complete with self-service, and you can return the DVD straight to the machine for instant check-in and removal from your account. Some of you may recall our original DVD dispenser. Unfortunately, while the theory was sound, technology hasn't caught up enough to make it a viable, working machine. We got our money refunded as you would with anything you purchased that wasn't working properly, and moved on to a better solution.

With these hi-tech changes, serving you is our priority. Our staff is here to help you find materials, answer questions about your account, and get your suggestions of what's good to read, hear, or watch. Offering self-checkout frees up staff to be in the stacks where you have the most questions. We have "roving librarians" out and about, and we want to be stopped and asked questions - so please do! We are well-staffed and haven't experienced the layoffs other libraries have faced across the nation because we're lucky to have such a supportive community that funds the library and acknowledges us as an important place for lifelong learning and community connection. Thanks Missoula!

Word Woman

Welcome to another exciting installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving -- but don't let all that leftover turkey put your brain to sleep. Here's the Word of the Week to help perk up your neural synapses:


Conundrum --

Main Entry: co·nun·drum

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈnən-drəm\

Function: noun

Etymology: origin unknown

Date: 1645

1 : a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
2 a : a question or problem having only a conjectural answer b : an intricate and difficult problem

"conundrum." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.

Merriam-Webster Online. 3 December 2009

Example: The conundrum of how to accomplish all of her Christmas shopping and stay within her budget seemed unsolvable for Laura until the day after Thanksgiving, when she won $10,000 in the lottery (I wish).

Writers shared their work

The library hosted our first-ever Writer's Open Mic event last night. November was National Novel Writing Month and, since Missoula has so many amazing creative writers, we too the opportunity to celebrate with an open mic night. Any Missoula writer could come and read their masterpiece to the crowd - and we heard some impressive writing. Here are a couple pictures from last night:

There are more photos on our Flickr page.

What's your story? The library wants to know. If you're a writer - of fiction or non-fiction, any age - get writing now so you're ready for our Writing Contest this winter. We'll have submission details by February. In the meantime, you should stop by and read our published volume of last year's entries, which we now have available in the Montana collection.

How do you find the motivation to write? Are there any exercises that inspire you? Share with us by posting a comment today!