Get it now - on your phone!

There's an app for that! Don't have time to come into the library to do a quick bit of research? You can have access to Missoula Public Library's electronic magazine database from your phone!! Just download the free AccessMyLibrary app from the App Store for use on your iPhone or iPod touch® today.

Online Banking????

If you have ever wondered about the how's or why's or why not's of online banking our computer class offering for Wednesday, February 3rd will be your opportunity to find the answers. A representative from a local financial institution will be teaching the class and will cover security issues and some of the mechanics of using online banking as well as being able to answer some of your questions. Seating is limited so give us a call and sign up now.

Word Woman

Welcome to another exciting episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! It has been lovely enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures for the last few days, but don't fool yourself that spring is on its way. This is Montana, after all, and the real thaw won't start until April or May, as usual. This week's Word of the Week comes to us courtesy of my IT co-worker, who uses it frequently. I thought I'd share it with you:

Rap·scal·lion

Pronunciation: \rap-ˈskal-yən\

Function: noun

Etymology: alteration of earlier rascallion, irregular from rascal

Date: 1699

: rascal, ne'er-do-well

"rapscallion." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.

Merriam-Webster Online. 28 January 2010

Example: When Jeremiah stole the Twinkies from her drawer at work, Beth called him a rapscallion and bought a lock box to keep her snacks in thereafter.

Bookdrop face lift

Missing something? If you return your checkouts in the outside bookdrops, then you'll probably notice a difference - a missing bookdrop. No, they haven't been kidnapped (or book-drop-napped, as the case may be). No need to cordon off the area or put down crime tape in the vacant spot. In fact, we're giving our bookdrops a face lift.

After years of collecting library materials, our metal bookdrops have started to get a bit worn, with a few dings and paint chips along the way. So we're sprucing them up - getting the dents straightened, and a nice new coat of paint. Kind of like a day at the spa.

This means one of the drops might be missing for a few days. But don't worry, it's coming back. We're painting on a rotating schedule, so you can still leave your returns in one of the other drops before their due date. And before you know it we'll have better-than-new bins outdoors.

Teen MySpace at MPL

Hey Teens, what do you want to see in the Missoula Public Library Teen MySpace page? We are looking for some creative Missoula teens to show us the way and on Thursday, January 28th, you will have a chance to give us your two cents on how a great MySpace page should look.

The MPL MySpace will be the best Teen MySpace site ever with your help. We will meet at 3pm in the Large Meeting Room to brainstorm ideas.

Anyone at the meeting can sign up for the MySpace Design Group and continue to work on the initial design as well as contribute to the site once it is up and running. Fun, food, drink and more fun will be waiting for you, so don't miss out.

See you then.

Have you Thanked a cataloger today?

You all use the library’s catalog, right? Our OPACS (Online Public Access CatalogS), which are located around the library, help you find the books/music/movie/information you’re looking for. But, have you ever stopped to think how those OPACS are constructed? Our Technical Services department is in full swing every day. The women who work behind the scenes enter lots of data into the cataloging system so that you can find what you need. Cataloging isn’t necessarily about creating records; it’s helping you, the patrons, find, identify, select and obtain resources. And their job is even larger than that! They use whatever appropriate means necessary so that you can obtain materials seamlessly – without errors, hassles, broken links, missing materials and other obstacles. Our catalogers and tech services staff do all of this behind the scenes, making library functionality easy for you. You only see them occasionally, yet they touch so many of us directly through catalog records, indexes, subject headings and other services. They make searching easy!

These ladies improve library services for all of us on a daily basis ~ when you’re searching for a book or dvd and find it, that’s due to a cataloger; when you search in the catalog and retrieve books, that’s due to a cataloger adding keywords and headings to a record; when you find the subject you’re looking for with the exact call #, that’s because a cataloger has done her job, and very well.

If you see one of our catalogers at the Accounts Desk, where they help out on occasion, stop by and tell them you appreciate what they do. Even if you don’t know exactly what they do, ask them and you’ll find yourself in an enlightening conversation।

A BIG Thank You to our catalogers!

Winter Reading Club's Review of the Week

Stubborn Twig by Lauren Kessler. Call # 979.561 KESSLER

"Follows three generations of a Japanese American family from immigration through prosperity and internment to the present. Well-told history of the "other Oregon Trail."

Winter Reading Club forms are pouring in! Keep on reading for great prizes and stay tuned each Tuesday for more reviews. If you haven't received your Winter Reading Club form or you need another, visit the Reference Desk or our website: http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/WinterReadingClub.htm

A Manga Guide to Statistics? Really?

Wow! While checking in today in circulation, I saw this:

THE MANGA GUIDE TO STATISTICS!! Of course, I had to read more — and it’s amazing! Think you can't have fun learning statistics? Think again.

Here’s the storyline: In The Manga Guide to Statistics, the heroine Rui is determined to learn about statistics to impress the dreamy Mr. Igarashi and begs her father for a tutor. Soon she's spending her Saturdays with geeky, bespectacled Mr.Yamamoto, who patiently teaches her all about the fundamentals of statistics: topics like data categorization, averages, graphing, and standard deviation.

Reluctant statistics students of all ages will enjoy learning along with Rui in this charming, easy-to-read guide, which uses real-world examples like teen magazine quizzes, bowling games, test scores, and ramen noodle prices. Examples, exercises, and answer keys help you follow along and check your work. An appendix showing how to perform statistics calculations in Microsoft Excel makes it easy to put Rui's lessons into practice.

What a fascinating concept from Ohmsha, Ltd. of Tokyo ~ presenting Statistics using manga characters and art. Where was this book xx years ago when I was struggling with Stats?

You can find this in the Young Adult room, Y 519.5 TAKAHAS ~ it’s on the shelf already!

OUR “HUB”

Ever wonder what we do behind those beautiful windows as you walk in the front of Missoula Public Library? That is your library’s “hub” ~ the circulation department!

Our main job in circulation is to help keep the books moving (circulating) back to the shelves, for you! As you drop your items into our drop slots, we check them back in to the library for the next patron to check out. Then, our awesome Pages (shelvers) take the items out to the stacks and shelve them for your convenience.

Admittedly, quite often, some of those items don’t make it to the shelves immediately, when I’m checking in. There are so many interesting books, cds, and dvds that I sometimes read the jacket or back of the item and either a) recommend it to you here on our blog or b) tweet about it or c) check it out to me!

Recently, while checking in your returns, I found:

The Beautiful Cigar Girl : Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Rogers, and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower.

On July 28, 1841, the body of a young women was found floating in the Hudson River. Later she was discovered to be a cigar salesgirl who had gone missing three days earlier. New York in the mid-nineteenth century was interested in why her murder could not be solved, when a struggling writer named Edgar Allen Poe decided to take on the case. Thirty-one year old Poe had just published "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." A year later desperate for success, Poe sent his famous detective, C. Auguste Dupin on the case of a lifetime, involving a crime that changed the city.

No, I didn’t check out The Beautiful Cigar Girl (yet) so it is shelved at 813.3 STASHOW

I didn’t check out The Illusionist on DVD either. I’ve watched it and recommend it ~ The Illusionist comes to you from the producers of Sideways and Crash. It is largely a story of mystery, with strong acting, and an interesting story. The interesting story part comes from author Steven Millhauser. The film is based on his short story Eisenheim the Illusionist. (read more about Millhauser here: http://tinyurl.com/ya4cgq9)

And, one of my favorite Kids’ new books: Bats at the Library by Brian Lies. This one has another hold on it, but you should also get in line and place a hold. This is a very popular EASY book! Youngsters (and we young-at-hearts) can join in the fun at the library with these book-loving bats, whose nocturnal celebrations cast library visits in a new light.

If you have a book you’d like to recommend for others to checkout, leave a comment here and we’ll add it to our Staff Picks and Reader’s Recommendations Power Wall and circulate it – that’s what we do!

Speaking of.... Whatcha Listenin' To?

Missoula Public Library now has a collection of Playaways. You might ask, “just what is a Playaway?” It is a preloaded easy-to-play audiobook in a small case that contains an entire unabridged book. How cool is that?
Although the start-up collection is relatively small, the content is as varied as MPL’s audiobook collection. For example there is foreign language instruction as well as many popular titles. All are searchable in our catalog.
Audiobook fans - who have not yet taken the plunge with an MP3 player - should find the Playaways to be a good substitute for books on cassette.
Look for our Playaways on our ‘Grab and Go’ shelves.

Whatcha Listenin' To?

In the car, at the gym, on your laptop-- audiobooks are popping up everywhere! Where is your favorite place to listen to a book? Tell us!

As always I’m curious to learn what audio books people are enjoying these days, so last week I asked library staff and MPL Facebook fans www.facebook.com/missoulapubliclibrary “Whatcha Listenin’ to?” Here are some of the responses I received:

Fire by Kristin Cashore, Read by Xanthe Elbrick

YCD CASHORE or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

In a kingdom called the Dells, Fire is the last human-shaped monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her, but even with these gifts she cannot escape the strife that overcomes her world.

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli, Read by Conor Donovan

Available via partner libraries or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe? Jerry Spinelli knows.

Fury by Salman Rushdie, Narrated by the author

BKCD RUSHDIE

Malik Solanka left his wife and son in England and fled to New York where he met beautiful Neela. Tormented by guilt and estranged from the modern world by his "furies," Malik begins a personal quest to overcome his anger.

My Life in France by Julia Child, Read by Flo Salant Greenberg

Available via partner libraries or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

Here is the captivating story of Julia Child's years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found her "true calling."

P.S. Read or Listen to three books and earn a free small coffee drink during Winter Reading Club Jan. 15 - March 15 2010.

Stamps

Do you collect stamps? Is this a hobby that you’d like to pursue? I did a search for books on stamp collecting from our catalog @ Missoula Public Library and here are some results:

click image to enlarge

or go directly to our online catalog
http://tinyurl.com/mplcatalog

These are all at Missoula Public Library and at our branches. You can find most of these in Non-Fiction-769 and a couple in our Juvenile Non-Fiction. As always, if you need help finding something at the library, ask any of us at the public desks.

Paws For Reading

You have one more chance this week to see Chica Diva the Therapy Dog, hear some stories and even read to Chica, if you like. She will be here on Saturday morning at 11am for her third story time of the week.

We've had a great time this week with Chica and her human, Vicki. She has been an awesome listener at our Wednesday night and Friday morning Story times.

Chica is a Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.) and is also certified with Intermountain Therapy Animals. Studies have shown that the R.E.A.D. program improves children's reading and communication skills by giving them the opportunity to read to dogs.

The library is considering having Chica and her friends come periodically to the library and be available to listen to children read on a one on one basis.

You can help by letting us know if this type of program would be of interest to you. Post a comment and let us know if you and your child would benefit from a R.E.A.D. program.

Word Woman

Welcome to another enthralling installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! A mind is a terrible thing to waste, so keep yours in top condition by learning new words. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Main Entry: si·ne·cure

Pronunciation: \ˈsī-ni-ˌkyu̇r, ˈsi-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Medieval Latin sine cura without cure (of souls)

Date: 1662

1 archaic : an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls
2 : an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income

-- "sinecure." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.

Merriam-Webster Online. 22 January 2010

Example: Having married the CEO's daughter, Darrin was assured of a sinecure for life.

You Ask, We Answer

Answers to questions you asked about the library...

There's no short way of getting from here to there in Montana. But there's no reason for the trip to be dull. Try an audiobook! They're a great way to pass the time whether you're driving, working in the yard, sewing, or just relaxing your eyes. The library has a lot of audiobooks ready for your listening pleasure. So listen up, here's the scoop:

Missoula Public Library has a great collection of audiobooks on CD for adults, teens, and children. You can find them all in Entertainment Central, in the middle of our upper level. Some of you have asked why we don't label them with genre stickers - mystery, western, Montana - like we do our fiction books. Basically, it comes to space. Audiobook cases are a lot smaller than the average book spine, so there's not much room to fit yet another sticker without covering up the title - which would make browsing pretty much impossible. If you have a particular genre in mind, our staff is happy to help you search it out. Or, if you browse, you might find something unexpected in a new genre!

You've also asked why some titles aren't on cassette. Most publisher no longer offer titles on cassette, or if they do it's cost-prohibitive. We still have many audiocassettes for you to check out, but when one breaks we can't replace it with a cassette any longer.

For those of you interested in trying out some new audio technology - we have downloadable audiobooks that you can transfer to an MP3 player or iPod from any Internet connection. If you don't own a player, we can check one out to you. And new to our collection, we now have Playaway books. These are preloaded players ready for you to plug in a set of headphones and enjoy. Find Playaway titles on our Grab 'n Go shelves the next time you're in the library.

Do you have a question about the library? Comment here or fill out a yellow comment slip the next time you're in the building.

Picture this!

Word on the e-street is that our Facebook profile picture needs a makeover. Ever in pursuit of internet footprint fabulousness, we're inclined to agree.

Before your friendly MPL Facebook fan page administrators dare click Change Picture, however, we need a replacement JPG!

That's where you, our dear readers and fantastic fans, come in. Submit your original MPL-related photos or art by way of a wall post on our Facebook page or an email to missoulapubliclibrary@gmail.com by Thursday, February 4th. All images posted to our profile picture album will be credited to you, of course.

Do you know what it takes for a phenomenal public library profile picture, Missoula? We'll be the judge, but we need your input! Check www.facebook.com/missoulapubliclibrary on Friday, Feb. 5th for results.

2010 Fans in 2010 Update

Guess what! Over the weekend we passed the 800 mark on Facebook! You still have time to submit a prediction for when you think MPL will reach 2010 Facebook fans in 2010. The deadline to post your prediction is Jan. 31st. To recap, here are the dates that have already been claimed:



Jan 21, Feb 14, Mar 14, Mar 15, Apr 1, May 21,
Jun 10, Jun 23, Jul 11, Jul 22, Jul 25, Aug 17,
Sep 22 Sep 28 Sep 29 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 20
Oct 21, Dec 11, Dec 12, Dec 13, Dec 18

Don't forget the 'fine print':

• One prediction per person
• Post your prediction on Facebook www.facebook.com/missoulapubliclibrary by Jan. 31, 2010
• The prediction closest to the date MPL reaches 2010 without going past the date will be accepted as the winner (think The Price Is Right protocol)
• In the event of a tie, whomever posted the prediction first will be declared the winner
  

Patron Saint of Librarians

Librarians...defenders of intellectual freedom & privacy since A.D. 258!
I recently discovered that libraries and librarians have a patron saint. Here's a little history lesson for ya. "Lawrence the Librarian was a church archives official in Rome. In the year A.D. 258, as part of Roman persecution of Christians, imperial guards searching for membership lists demanded the surrender of the church's archives. Lawrence previously had hidden the archives and refused to divulge their location. The guards tied him to a grid iron over a charcoal fire, but Lawrence still refused to relinquish the archives, telling his tormentors, 'I am roasted enough on this side, turn me over and eat.' In subsequent years, a cult grew up around Lawrence. Numerous churches were dedicated to him and he was the subject of artwork by Rubens, Titian, Ribera, and Fra Angelico. Even today, pilgrims still visit the basilica over the tomb of this librarian who died to defend the archives in his custody." [Hunter, Gregory S. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2003.]

Newbery & Other Youth Media Awards Announced

Today's the day the American Library Association announced the winners of the 2010 Youth Media Awards. To not hold you in suspense any longer...

Newbery Award: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
Caldecott Award: The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney
Printz Award: Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
Edwards Award: Jim Murphy

See all the winners and honors at the School Library Journal blog: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/670052067.html

Happy reading!

Have a Question?

Missoula Public Library’s reference librarians are amazing! They know so much and have so much information to share. Even in the unlikely event they don’t know an answer, they know where to find everything! Are you at home working on a research paper? Do you have a trivia question that has you stumped? Would you like to know how to calculate wind chill factors? Go to our homepage at missoulapubliclibrary.org and click on “Ask our Reference Team”. The link will connect to your email program, where you can type your question, send it, and expect a response very quickly.

Go ahead, ask a question, and receive information ~ that’s what we do!

Word Woman

Welcome to another wild and woolly episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Don't let the January blahs get you down, keep your mind alert and active by learning new words. Here's the Word of the Week to get you going:

Darraign: [der-rain] to prepare someone to fight, to fit someone out for battle. Also, to decide something by combat (other than who's the best fighter). This word comes from an Old French word meaning 'to explain, defend'. -- "More Weird and Wonderful Words", Erin McKean, Ed., Oxford University Press, New York, 2003.

Example: The captain of the football team darraigned his teammates to face their cross-town rivals at the game on Sunday night.

Winter Reading Club

Don't get the winter blahs. Sure, the cold might keep you inside but that's the perfect place for reading a good book. Need a little motivation? Join our Winter Reading Club!

The Winter Reading Club is like our summertime reading program, but for big people. Ages 18 and up can read or listen to 3 titles, fill out a form (available at our Reference desk or the Frenchtown & Seeley branches) and you'll automatically get a free small drink at eddie's coffee shop @ the Missoula Public Library or Grizzly Claw Trading Company. It's that easy. Keep reading and filling out forms, and be entered in our monthly raffles for lots more cool prizes.

But wait, there's more. We're having two fun-filled evenings of short stories read by local celebrities. Here's the info so you don't miss out:

Thursday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. enjoy humorous stories read by Mayor John Engen, KECI's Mark Heyka, and Zed from MTRP.

Thursday, Mar. 11, at 7 p.m. share delectable tales read by Garden City Harvest's Josh Slotnick, KPAX's Angela Marshall, and Missoulian food writer Lori Grannis.

You don't have to be a member of the Winter Reading Club to come to the Celebrity Story Times, but why miss out on free stuff? The Club runs Jan. 15-Mar. 15. Special thanks to our Club sponsors: Montana Tea & Spice, eddie's coffee shop @ the Missoula Public Library, Grizzly Claw Trading Company, and artist Kayla Romberg.

Party like an Olympian

Looking forward to the release of The Lightning Thief in movie theaters on Feb. 12? So are we!!!

Join us for our "Be an Olympian" Percy Jackson Party on Thursday, Feb. 11, 3:30-5 p.m. for grades 4-6. Test your knowledge in Olympian Jeopardy, be a god in Olympian life-sized Monopoly, and eat like a god, too.

While you're waiting for Feb. 11 to roll around, see author Rick Riordan's website where you can enter Camp Half-Blood, take a quiz for the 10 signs that you're a demigod, and find some cool art projects and other links from Percy's scrapbook. And you can even find out about Riordan's new series the Kane Chronicles, about battling Egyptian gods.

Make a Prediction and Win

As of January 11, 2010 Missoula Public Library has 744 Facebook fans. When do you think we'll reach 2010 fans in 2010? We're going to award a prize to who ever posts a prediction on our Facebook fan page that is closest to the date MPL hits 2010 fans.

These are the predictions that have been made so far:

Mar 15 Jun 10 Jun 23 Jul 11 Jul 25

Aug 17 Sep 22 Sep 28 Sep 29 Oct 21

Dec 11 Dec 13 Dec 18

If you’re not an FB fan of Missoula Public Library, become one already! By doing so you’ll be privy to all our event updates and be able to connect with a community of people who share your library love. Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/missoulapubliclibrary

Post a prediction then spread the good word of the library by inviting your friends to join us on Facebook. Thanks and good luck!

The Fine Print aka The Rules:

• One prediction per person
• Post your prediction on Facebook by Jan. 31, 2010
• The prediction closest to the date MPL reaches 2010 fans without going past the date will be accepted as the winner (think The Price Is Right protocol)
• In the event of a tie, whomever posted the prediction first will be declared the winner

Whatcha Readin' ?

I asked the library staff and MPL's Facebook fans what they are currently reading. Here are a few responses I received along with brief summaries.



The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the fire that saved America
by Timothy Egan 973.911 EGAN
"Narrates the struggles of the overmatched rangers against the implacable fire of August, 1910, and Teddy Roosevelt's pioneering conservation efforts that helped turn public opinion permanently in favor of the forests, though it changed the mission of the forest service with consequences felt in the fires of today."

War Dances
by Sherman Alexie ALEXIE
"A collection of short stories includes the title story, in which a famous writer, who just learned he may have a brain tumor, must decide how to care for his distant, American Indian father who is slowly dying."

Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life
by Maxwell Maltz [search partner libraries]
"Psycho-Cybernetics-is the original text that defined the mind/body connection the concept that paved the way for most of today s personal empowerment programs. Turn crises into creative opportunities, dehypnotize yourself from false beliefs, and celebrate new freedom from fear and guilt."

Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood ATWOOD
"When a natural disaster predicted by God's Gardeners leader Adam One obliterates most human life, two survivors trapped inside respective establishments that metaphorically represent paradise and hell wonder if any of their loved ones have survived."

Stick Horses and Other Stories of Ranch Life
by Wallace McRae [search partner libraries]
"True-life stories about cowboys, Indians, ranch hands, sheriffs and the milieu of characters that populated the legendary American West. McRae tells about his heroes and also the town vagabonds who came and went through the landscape of his growing up as a ranch kid and his adult life as a third-generation Montana rancher. "

The Boat
by Nam Le LE
"Stories that take us from the slums of Colombia to the streets of Tehran; from New York City to Iowa; from a tiny fishing village in Australia to a foundering vessel in the South China Sea-- while taking us to the heart of what is means to be human. " *The Facebook fan that mentioned this title said that it is the "[b]est collection I've read all year!"

I'll share more current reads in future posts. In the meantime, tell us what books you are currently reading.

Teen MySpace at MPL

Teens, Gimme MySpace!

It’s time the Teens took charge of MySpace at The Missoula Public Library.

At 3pm on Thursday, Jan. 28th we will meet in the Large Meeting Room to talk over ideas for the new Teens MySpace at MPL.

Bring all of your ideas, suggestions, and comments to the large meeting room on Jan 28th.

We'll take a look at other Teen Spaces as well as the current Missoula Library MySpace and brainstorm the changes we want to make. Of course we will have some refreshments and wrap up with a list of our top revisions and a date to meet again. Let your creativity take over and join us on the 28th.

We want this Space to be Your Space.

Word Woman

Welcome to another astonishing episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! This is officially the first Word of the Week for 2010, and I'm looking forward to posting about 50 more of them before the year is over. Do I ever get tired of doing this? Not at all, because I'm such a logophile (word lover). Here's the Word of the Week:

Pecuniary: Pecu is the Latin for cattle, and since cattle were once a common means of barter, the ancients often expressed an estate's value in terms of the number of cattle it was valued at, which gave them the word pecunia, for "money or property". Pecunia, in turn gave birth to numerous English words , such as pecuniary, "pertaining to money"; impecunious, "without money"; peculate, "to embezzle"; and peculiar, "pertaining to that which is one's own", that is, one's own cattle. -- "The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Words and Phrase Origins", Robert Hendrickson, Checkmark Books, New York, 1997

Example: Brad's pecuniary miscalculations led to his being fired from his job as an accountant.

You Ask, We Answer

Answers to your questions...

Some of you have asked us about the smoking regulations at our building. Missoula County ordinance regulates that smoking must be 25 feet away from the outermost point of any county building. To help our library users who happen to be smokers, we've created a smoking area by the picnic table in the corner of our parking lot. We added identifying signs at the smoking area, as well as near our entrances, directing smokers to the appropriate location. And now if you're stepping outside for a cigarette you have somewhere to sit, too.

Why are we such sticklers about it? When someone smokes under the overhang in the back of the building, or along the sides of the building, our air intake vents take that smoke and spirit it straight into our interior air - which means everyone in the building can smell smoke. For those with allergies and other sensitivities, even this small amount of exposure can be difficult. We appreciate everyone's cooperation in making the library a wonderful place for all!

Do you have a question about the library? Ask us! Fill out a comment form the next time you're in the building, or leave a comment here.

We do have the books

I have such fun putting up displays and of course one of my favorites is the Read it for the Title display that I do once a year. In the meantime I found that these two titles made a great juxtaposition for my display at the end of the non-fiction range that includes domesticated animals, 636.089-641.691. So, come visit and see what interesting titles that you can find to read. Or check out some of our displays; we currently have displays on spies, road trips, foreign cuisine and others. And of course there is our always popular Staff Picks/Readers' Choice display.

We deliver

Today is the first day of Missoula Public Library's Home Delivery service. Now you can select "mail to me" when you place a hold in our library catalog and we'll ship your materials straight to your house!

We're obviously super exicted about this new service. Here's how it works: You create an account at the library for up to $50. Each time you have a home delivery package sent to your house, we charge the account $3. You're responsible for returning the item, whether you pay to ship it back or drop it at our building, branches, or drop boxes around town.

If you can't afford the $3 charge and qualify for assistance, we can register you for free home delivery. See our guidelines and application form.

Special thanks to our Foundation and Friends for supporting this program.

We're always looking for ways to better serve our users. If you have a suggestion, let us know! Fill out a comment card at the library or leave a comment here.

I Resolve To...

Happy New Year everyone. The stroke of midnight means it's time to sing that New Year Classic "Auld Lang Syne." A little research tells me this is a Scottish song translating to "times gone by." You can enjoy a few different renditions of this classic New Year song online with our Smithsonian Global Sound subscription.

Of course, the New Year isn't just a time to look back, but a time to make plans for the year ahead. I have no idea what my New Year's resolution should be. I see too many possibilities every time I walk through the library. Should I resolve to keep up on the world better with our collection of newspapers and magazines? Or I could resolve to watch a foreign film each month (an easy task if you come to World Wide Cinema). How about resolving to revisit some of my favorite childhood books?

Choosing a resolution is serious business. It can determine the course of your entire new year! Luckily, I found some help on ehow.com. According to them, there are some very simple factors to keep in mind - make your resolution realistic, be specific, break a large goal into smaller ones.

So what's your New Year's resolution? I'm looking for suggestions - something creative & fun. Send in your ideas by adding a comment here.