Seussentennial a bit hit!

Over 150 fun-loving people attended the Seussentennial event at the library on Sunday, Feb. 27. Sponsored by the America Reads America Counts program at the University of Montana and the Missoula Public Library, this fun event featured a fishing pond, stories, craft, refreshments, and prizes. All to recognize the birthday of beloved children's author Theodor Geisel, the creator of the Dr. Seuss stories. The red and white stovepipe hats just can't be beat!

Throwing Words Into the Water

With our writing contest finishing up and a new writing group for adults beginning in March, I thought it might be worth it to share some links to interesting conversations about the pleasures and difficulties of writing fiction.

http://bombsite.com/issues/108/articles/3305

In this first post we visit Bomb magazine for a lengthy interview with Nam Le, an excellent short story writer from Down Under. Interviewing Le is Charles D'ambrosio, who was the Hugo Visiting Writer at the University of Montana in 2006. They grapple with some deep, interesting stuff here, and it's a real treat to read what to they have to say about their craft. If you haven't done so already, make sure to check out their most recent books from the Staff Picks section of the library.

Also, if you want to try your own hand at writing, come join us and other aspiring writers at our first adult writer's workshop on Saturday, March 5th, from 10:00-12:00 in the Boardroom.

Image courtesy of torre.elena

Word Woman

Welcome to another weird and wonderful episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Your brain is designed to last a lifetime, so keep it in great condition by doing a little mental exercise every day. One way to stretch those neural synapses is to expand your vocabulary. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Precarious:

1. depending on the will or pleasure of another

2. dependent on uncertain premises : dubious

3. a. dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments

b. characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger

“precarious”, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precarious , 2/8/2011

Example: Anna tried to coax the cat down from its precarious perch on top of the Christmas tree by opening a can of tuna.

Prepare to be thrilled!!

This evening, as a part of our Winter Reading Club events, you are invited to join us for an evening of chilling winter stories read by Jeff Medley and Rebecca Sporman from the Montana Actor's Theater. Jeff will be reading a short story by Roald Dahl and Rebecca will read two short thrillers by Poe and Asimov. Civitella will be making Blood Orange Punch and White Chocolate Cinnamon cocoa (so come for the treats, if not for the stories!). See you at 7 pm in the large meeting room and prepare to be thrilled.

NextReads is a wonderful resource for readers!

Our reference staff received a cool e-mail this week regarding one of our free databases: NextReads. "Hey you guys!! I just got my first e-mail from your new program that gives suggestions for checking out specific categories of titles. It is wonderful! Gives just enough information about the title and a short enough reading list to easily make selections." We're always glad to receive e-mails from patrons who like what we do. And we're pretty pleased with NextReads ourselves.

So what is NextReads?

• NextReads is an eimail newsletter subscription service that provides reading suggestions for all ages in more than 20 reading interest categories.

• Since you are able to sign up for whatever newsletters they want, you will receive reading suggestions tied directly to your interests.

• Title selections are made by professional librarians using the same sources

libraries use for collection development.

• Each book in every newsletter is accompanied by a brief, original annotation

packed with Readers’ Advisory content and handcrafted by professional

librarians.

• Each entry has a link to Missoula Public Library's catalog. You can simply click on the

link, search our catalog, and place holds on titles you are interested in.

• The newsletters are sent out on a regularly scheduled basis so you'll always have new reading suggestions!

Please check out NextReads on www.MissoulaPublicLibrary.org. We think you'll be glad you did.

Word Woman

Welcome to another amazing installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! A mind is a terrible thing to waste, so keep yours it tip-top condition by solving crossword puzzles, sudoku and cryptoquotes. Another great way to exercise your brain is by learning new words, so here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Euphemism: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also, the expression so substituted

"euphemism", http://www.merriam-webster.com/euphemism , 2/3/2011

Example: Carrie's frequent use of euphemisms at work to protect the delicate sensibilities of her many and varied co-workers rendered her conversations so cryptic as to be nearly incomprehensible at times.

Want to learn more about euphemisms? There is an interesting new book out called "Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms". Amazon.com has it at http://www.amazon.com/Euphemania-Our-Love-Affair-Euphemisms/dp/0316056561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297802635&sr=1-1

Dessert and a Movie at the Frenchtown Branch

White chocolate and dark chocolate truffles, cherry cheesecake, chocolate jelly roll cake with whipped cream, chocolate sorbet, and heart shaped whoopee pies: these dessert options (all of which were prepared by Frenchtown High School’s Culinary Arts IV class) lured library patrons from their homes last Thursday night to the Frenchtown High School, where the Frenchtown Branch Community Library “Dessert and a Movie” night was in full effect. As most know, the Frenchtown Branch of Missoula Public Library is the product of a partnership between the Frenchtown School District and the Missoula Public Library, and so the Branch is actually located in the High School Library. Consequently, while the location of the Branch provides, in the main, library services to the Frenchtown Community, we public Branch librarians also have unique opportunities to collaborate with Frenchtown librarians, teachers, and students on school/library related projects and events… and in this case, the event was, I must say, wildly successful: over a hundred people showed up to eat whoopee pies and watch “The Lady and the Tramp.”

The subject of school/library partnerships has lately become quite the hot-topic in the library world, as such partnerships make library resources accessible to populations that might otherwise be library-less. Additionally, librarians see gaining a foothold in schools as a key way to encourage kids to explore their environments through reading, research, and community, all of which are basic values/activities that public libraries seek to uphold. And, from the perspective of teachers and school administrators, partnering with a public library increases the reading/research resources available for student/staff use. So, a school/library partnership is basically a win/win situation for everyone, and one that’s relatively easy and cost-effective to put into effect.

It’s important to note, too, that school/library partnerships like the one between the Frenchtown School District and the Missoula Public Library are only one example of this type of partnership. There are a myriad of ways in which schools and libraries can collaborate for the purpose of benefiting students. In some cases, public librarians work directly with school librarians and teachers to provide students with learning materials and to promote in students focused but entertaining educational inquiry. A teacher who’s teaching Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to her sophomore English class might, for example, work with a public librarian in order to actualize a “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” tea party at the Library. Which would be totally awesome: it goes without saying that should such a party ever come to fruition, I’ll be there...

Music across my desk this evening

New CDs in and out to the shelves today include:
All I Want is You by Miguel, call # MCD 781.644 MIGUEL
Earth, Fire, Water, Wind by John Two-Hawks, call # MCD 781.629 TWOHAWK
And IF Our God is For Us... by Chris Tomlin, call # MCD 781.7. TOMLIN
Yoga by Putumayo, Call # MCD 781.657 YOGA
H. F. M. 2 (Hunger For More) by Loyd Banks, call # MCD 781.649 BANKS
...always trying to have something new for you.

Only the Very Best

The internet is huuuuuuge--everyone knows that. But did you know how huge? According to this infographic, as of December 2010, there are 255 million websites, and 21.4 million from 2010 alone. So, how do you sift through millions of sites to find only the very best of what the web has to offer? You turn to a librarian, of course. Fact: librarians know pretty much everything. As proof, check out what the intrepid staff at the New York Public Library put together for your browsing pleasure. Just plan to spend hours, days maybe, clicking through everything. And remember: we have our own information gurus on standby at the reference desk, if you don't have hours (or days) to find what you're looking for.

http://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-recommendations/best-of-web

Winter Reading Club Reviews of the Week

Only a little more than one week to get your reviews in for prizes!

The Missoula Public Library Winter Reading Club for adults runs from January 15 through March 15. Read or listen to three books, write a short review on each, and earn a free drink from Civitella Espresso Bar in the lobby of the library. Keep on reading and your name will be put into a drawing for fabulous prizes. Review forms are available at the reference desk or online at www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/winterreadingclub. You can decide if you wish to share your review (you can do it anonymously if you wish). Here are some reviews. See anything that makes you want to read?

Hot House

by Chris Lynch

“Russell and his friend D.J. have to come to terms with their firefighter fathers’ deaths. Are their fathers the heroes they though they were?
Recommended.”

-Reviewed by Christine Fogerty

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Call # GRUEN

“This is a beautiful book about
unusual people. An old man tells the story of his early life with a circus.  The descriptions of lifestyles, animals, and the good and bad in people is great. Highly recommended.”

-Reviewed by Carmelita Bullock

Lucky You

by Carl Hiaasen

 Call # HIAASEN

 “If you need a little humor, this is a great book. Highly Recommended.”

-Anonymous Review

The Lost City of Z

by David Grann

Call # 918.1104 GRANN

 

“A great story about the exploring boom of the early 1900’s — mysterious, fascinating, and it’s all true! Recommended.”

-Anonymous Review