The Help - the movie

It's been one of our hottest book chat kits and will be coming to theaters on August 12 as a movie. Deadline.com reports that Dreamworks has released a trailer of the movie based on Stockett's best selling movie at www.youtube.com/user/DreamWorksthehelp. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet you might want to check it out from the library.

May I recommend?

I read an excellent article/blog from the New York Times Business Day Personal Tech section about gadgets that we should or should not keep based on the current technology. If you are wondering whether you should get a new digital camera or desktop computer or even a USB drive, take a look at this article, Gadgets you should get rid of (or not) by Sam Grobart from March 23rd. He has some interesting recommendations on what is necessary (or not) and why in the field of current technology gadgets that may surprise you. I don't necessarily agree with his recommendations but do agree that they are food for thought.

His final recommendation I do agree with only slight reservations. Books- recommendation is to keep them with one exception, cookbooks. I prefer, personally, to read books in printed format for all the reasons he gives in his recommendation. I do believe that e-Books are a convenient way to transport titles when traveling or where space is an issue but I do not own an eReader and have no plans to purchase one.

However, I am a cookbook reader just because I find them interesting and inspiring (just bought Greg Patents' latest and can hardly wait to dig in). I love to collect old cookbooks, just because they are fun to have, and yes I use them to cook from, finding recipes and ideas that the new ones don't have. I use online websites and food blogs regularly so I do agree that for expediency's sake online for recipes is good but don't know that I'm convinced about cookbooks - hooray for 641.5 and it's extensions.

And remember, as Grobart points out, "You can even borrow them for free at sites called libraries."

MPL staff picks favorite reads for 2010

As we say goodbye to 2010 and usher in 2011, this seems like a good time to share with you some of Missoula Public Library staff’s favorite reads of 2010. Not all the selections were necessarily written in 2010 but may have been read by staff this year. How many have you read?

A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Aimee Bender

Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross

Jillian (IT)

The Dreamer, Pam Munoz Ryan

Art and Max, David Wiesner

Island Beneath the Sea, Isabel Allende

Ape House, Sara Gruen

Into the Beautiful North, Luis Urrea

Karen (Children’s)

The Infinities, John Banville

The Gathering, Anne Enright

Descartes Loneliness, Allen Grossman

(Heather, Frenchtown Branch)

Under This Unbroken Sky, Shandi Mitchell

Tiger Moon, Penelope Lively

God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours, Regina Brett

(Christine, Reference)

Holy Water, James Othmer

(Elizabeth, Assistant Director)

Here’s Looking at Euclid, Alex Bellos

One Dog at a Time, Pen Farthing

Bookweird, Paul Glennon

(Marge, Reference)

The Idle Parent: Why Laid-Back Parents Raise Happier and Healthier Kids, Tom Hodgkinson

The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman

The Glamour of Grammar, Roy Peter Clark

(Molly, Reference)

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Michael Dorris

What I Thought I Knew, Alive Eve Cohen

Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl

(Cara, Reference)

The Good, Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood, Sy Montgomery

(Lisa, Public Relations)

The Devil’s Rooming House, M. William Phelps

Fall of Giants, Ken Follett

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel, C.W. Gortner

Daughters of Witching Hill: A Novel, Mary Sharratt

The Queen’s Lover: A Novel, Vanora Bennett

(Annie, Circulation, favorite Historical Fiction)

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.

nincompoop? balderdash? scuttlebutt?

Did you know that ...

Red tape originally referred to the red colored tape used to secure legal documents or other official correspondence.

Versions of the word yo originated in the early fifteenth century as a warning or call to attention.

To jump on the bandwagon was first popularized in political campaigns.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weird Word Origins by Paul McFedries has made a pit stop at my desk before wending its way to the "NEW" shelf in the young adult department. I was surprised to find an entry for the word book -- I mean, it doesn't seem like such a weird word, but the origin is interesting! Here is the listing I found:

"Authors sometimes jokingly refer to themselves as 'tree-killers' because of the great numbers of trees that go into the making of their books. However, from a historical point of view, they could also get away with calling themselves 'tree-makers.' That's because the word book can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times when scribblers used to scribble on chunks of bark from the beech tree. Their name for this tree was boc, and eventually that also became their name for the slabs of beech bark-based writings that they would bind together. That word eventually changed to book and stuck around even when the beech-bark slabs were replaced by printed pages." (p. 18, 2008)

What Do I Read!!??

Did you make a New Year's resolution to read more this year but just can't figure out what to read next? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

First, check out Novelist Plus one of our e-databases. You'll have to enter your library card number to access this site. You can search for books you've already read and liked and get recommendations for other books and authors to try. This has saved my life on more than one occasion, since my wife regularly enlists me to pick out Chick Lit for her while I'm here at the library.

Also, try the shiny new WhichBook. WhichBook lets you choose elements of a story and then recommends books that match those elements. If you're looking for a happy, unpredictable, conventional story, or something like that, then this is the place for you.

If you're a little more old-fashioned, be sure to look at our staff-picks and themed power walls when you come into the library. You'll always find something new and interesting there.

What Do You Do With Old Books?

If you don't want to donate them to us, maybe you could use them in your next art project. Check out these creative pieces of book art.

Libraries are for cowards...

In a recent interview with EW.com, Stephen Colbert, host of nightly"news" program on Comedy Central called The Colbert Report, discussed his new book I am America (and So Can You!).

If you are eagerly awaiting the October release of this humorous and satirical book, the following exchange from the interview will just give you one more reason to get your name on the hold list:

"So if I too wanted to become America…
I would read this book.

This is the book for me.
Actually, I'd buy it first. And then I'd read it. No libraries, okay? Libraries are for cowards. No free rides. The book is for heroes, and the heroes are the people who buy the book. Don't lend the book."

(source: EW.com Birth of a Colbert Nation by Whitney Pastorek)

I found this through librarian.net. I like everything about this video, definitely not safe for work.

Read a Book

Posted Jul 12, 2007

This bizarre PSA, reportedly airing on BET, exhorts young black men to "read a fuckin' book, nigga."

EDIT - Viacom removed the video from YouTube, so here's the new link.

Book Nastiness

During my three years of service at the Missoula Public Library, I have come across many nasty things returned with library books. A few that come to mind are: toenail clippings, bandaids, and Kleenex. Of course, there's also the standard dirty book (you would not believe how dirty books can get just by being handled by many hands!). When we get these books back, we throw them into a pile, and when we get the time, we clean then with Windex and a paper towel.

However, some types of nastiness can't be cleaned. One example is book mold.

"One of the most common problems in libraries and archives... is mold.... Mold grows through the propagation of its spores, which are always present in the air waiting for the right opportunity to germinate. Moisture provides the necessary conditions for mold germination.... Mold spores can be dangerous, and the treatment of mold-infected material must be handled with care to avoid inhalation. Although not all molds are toxic to humans, it is important to regard all infestations as possibly toxic and take the appropriate precautions (respirator and gloves) when entering an infested area.... Mold can grow on any moist surface, including materials such as paper, leather, and book coverings, causing disfiguring, multicolored stains and greatly reducing the material's strength" (http://www.librarypreservation.org/management_and_planning/mold.htm)

We have to be really careful when we come across these books at the library, because some of our staff are highly allergic to book mold. So please be careful this summer as you enjoy all the water activities the Missoula area has to offer, and keep your books dry!

Love is in the air....

For many of us, love and books go hand-in-hand. Reading a good book inspires a feeling in us that is difficult to put into words. But for some, those amorous feelings are transferred from the information object to the information provider. And so I was inspired to compose this list of:

Top Ten Pick-up Lines Overheard in a Library

1. Can you tell me where I can find books on overcoming a deeply passionate love I have for a librarian?
   
   
2. Libraries should allow food in the building, because right now I could just eat you up.
   
   
3. I know what I need to access the Internet, but what do I need to access your heart?
   
   
4. What book would you recommend to help me sweep you off your feet?
   
   
5. Can you settle a bet? My friend says librarians have no life, but I say they're wild beasts. Can I take you out to dinner and prove my friend wrong?
   
   
6. You must have been burning books, because you're looking hot.
   
   
7. I’ve put my heart on Reserve... for you.
   
   
8. You know, when you leave the library, the guard will ask why you’ve stolen my heart.
   
   
9. I’m checking you out; can I get your call number?
   
   
10. Do you have any overdue library books? 'Cause you've got the word "fine" written all over.

Douglas, S. (2005, February 15). Corny library pickup lines and how librarians effectively shoot them down. Retrieved April 30, 2007, from McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Dispatches from a Public Librarian Web site: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/librarian/14pickuplines.html

Holmes, L.A. (2000). Liz Amini Holmes. Retrieved May 3, 2007, from NORCA Web site: http://www.scbwinorca.org/bios/onlinegallery/futurefeature/love%20books.jpg

Kelly, M.A. (2006, May 18). 15 Lamont pick-up lines. Retrieved April 30, 2007, from The Harvard Crimson: Magazine Web site: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513526

Passion: Pick-up lines by the Signs. Retrieved April 30, 2007, from Astrology.com Web site: http://love.astrology.com/pickuplines.html

Library Smut

Everyone who knows me will tell you I'm a huge fan of gadgets. Computers, software, web based applications, etc. And with that I'll tell you: nothing beats sitting down and reading a book. I'll never be one to use the new e-books, but I will test them out and marvel at their software and portability.

So I was excited to "stumble-upon" (if you haven't tried out this ultra-neat firefox add-on, you're WAY behind the web 2.0 curve) a great photo gallery of libraries filled with books that nearly made me drool. Look:


Pretty amazing, huh? Click here for the full gallery.

I wonder where you check your email in those libraries?