Chatham Chat – Check It Out

Do you know about Chatham Chat?  Chatham Chat is a great website for gleaning all the local information you need to know.  You’ll find local news and events updated regularly, as well as information on local businesses, churches, organizations, and more.  Don’t forget to bookmark this website, as it’s sure to be a great resource for you as you seek to stay informed and find things to do in Chatham and the surrounding area.

Library Lines – August 13, 2009

Elvis Week at Graceland is winding down this weekend. More than thirty years after his death, Elvis Presley’s fans still gather at his home for a week of tributes and celebrations, so it’s clear that their commitment to the rock ‘n’ roll icon remains strong. Even if you couldn’t make it to Memphis for the festivities, you can still get your Elvis Presley fix at the Chatham Area Public Library. You can learn about every aspect of Elvis fandom in Erica Lee Doss’s book, Elvis Culture: Fans, Faith, and Image.

It would be an understatement to assert that Elvis merely lived an interesting life. Maybe that’s why so many biographies have been written about The King. Biographies cover every stage of his life. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick is a biography that charts Presley’s ascent to fame, whereas Peter Harry Brown and Pat H. Broeske’s Down at the End of Lonely Street: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley and The Death of Elvis: What Really Happened by Charles C. Thompson II and James P. Cole are two that hone in on the tragic end of his life.

And if reading about Presley’s real life isn’t adventure enough, many novelists have co-opted the character of The King and placed him in their fictional tales, for example in William F. Buckley, Jr.’s Elvis in the Morning. Presley is even featured as a sleuth in Blue Suede Clues: A Murder Mystery Featuring Elvis Presley by Daniel Klein.

In this tough economy, perhaps you’re looking for some extra cash. Do you ever wonder how much your old Elvis records are worth? Or maybe you’re just curious about what sorts of wild and wacky Presley-themed collectibles are out there. The Official Price Guide to Elvis Presley Records and Memorabilia, published by the House of Collectibles, and Steve Templeton’s Elvis!: An Illustrated Guide to New and Vintage Collectibles are two titles that can satisfy your curiosity.

Elvis Presley’s movies are another thing he’ll always be remembered for. Come to the library to check out and re-watch your favorite Elvis flicks such as King Creole, Blue Hawaii, Jailhouse Rock, and Girl Happy.

It’s never too late to get the kids hooked on The King. Children’s books such as Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender: Lyrics by Elvis Presley and Vera Matson or Ten Little Elvi by Laura J. Henson and Duffy Grooms are just what you need to help the kids start to appreciate Elvis–and reading, and all that the Chatham Area Public Library has to offer.

Midday Movie – State Fair – August 12 @ 2:00 p.m.

Our Midday Movie this month is State Fair.  This 1945 film version of the popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was directed by Walter Lang and stars Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, and Vivian Blaine.

Mark your calendar–we will be screening the movie on Wednesday, August 12 at 2:00 p.m. in the library’s Conference Room.  Come for the movie, stay for the discussion afterwards.  Admission is free, everyone is welcome, and snacks will be provided.

We hope to see you here on August 12 for the Midday Movie–and we hope you’ll bring a friend along with you!

Library Lines – July 30, 2009

It won’t be long now, but to the chagrin of all kids, school will be starting up again soon. The first day back for the students in the Ball-Chatham School District is Tuesday, August 18. For teachers, the first day back is Monday, August 17. With less than a month to go, make the Chatham Area Public Library part of your back-to-school planning.

It can sometimes be traumatic for children who are going off to school for the first time. Fortunately there are some books that address the issues surrounding the event. When You Go to Kindergarten by James Howe describes for children what to expect when they get to school for the first time and how it differs from preschool and day-care. The introduction is for parents and addresses the anxieties that both children and parents face. In We Like Kindergarten the main character Carol describes her daily activities at school and pretends to be a teacher at home with her little sister and her pets. In Rosemary Wells’ Timothy Goes to School, Timothy meets a boy who is the most popular, smartest, and the best at everything. This causes Timothy some stress, until he meets Violet, with whom he has something in common. When best friends and next door neighbors find that they will not be in the same class in Sparky and Eddie : The First Day of School, they fear that they will no longer be able to be friends. They soon discover that the opposite is true.

Back to school time can be a stressful transition for parents as well. Preparing your child for a lifetime of learning is about the best one can do. For the earlier years, Helping Your Child Learn Science: With Activities for Children in Preschool Through Grade 5 will help you foster their love of learning. The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child contains proven strategies for inspiring the unmotivated child, and advice for parents and teachers on being positive role models. For a word of caution, The Trouble with Perfect: How Parents Can Avoid the Overachievement Trap and Still Raise Successful Children provides a reality check for those who would “pressure parent” their kids. Citing evidence showing that placing unreasonable expectations on children can stifle crucial personality traits that reduces their chances for success as adults, the author addresses the guilt laid upon parents by a society that labels the average majority of children “losers.”

The other group of people that are affected by going back to school is the teachers. Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers leaves out the “feel good” stuff and exposes the difficult realities of the personal and professional lives of our educators. The author, Daniel Moulthrop, examines how bad policy and public misconceptions can be overcome and makes the case that innovative compensation plans for teachers can improve public education. For a little lighter look at that noble profession, Tales From the Teachers’ Lounge: What I Learned in School the Second Time Around-One Man’s Irreverent Look at Being a Teacher Today by Robert Wilder is a series of humorous, “wickedly observant essays about what it really means to be a teacher today.”

Back-to-school comes but once a year. Your friends at The Chatham Area Public Library want to help you prepare for it and succeed in it. Don’t let your “School Days” turn into a “School Daze.”

Milestone Documents in American History

Attention history buffs and history students!  The Chatham Area Public Library has a new resource just for you.  Milestone Documents in American History is now more than just a book–although it is a book that can be found in the reference section under call number 973 MIL.  But if you’re at home and can’t make it to the library, you still have access to this important reference material online; all you need to access it is your library card number.

What documents might you expect to find in this database?  Some examples include:  “Revolutionary era standards such as Patrick Henry’s ‘Liberty or Death’ speech, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. Important Presidential sources include Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Franklin Roosevelt’s speech following the attack on Pearl Harbor, John F. Kennedy’s 1963 address on integration, and George W. Bush’s address on September 11, 2001. Influential decisions of the Supreme Court are also included, from Marbury v. Madison to Brown v. Board of Education to Bush v. Gore. Critical documents related to minority rights are also present: Andrew Jackson’s message ‘On Indian Removal,’ the Seneca Falls Declaration, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, and the Equal Rights Amendment.“

While the full text of these primary documents is one major aspect of the database, that’s not all you get.  Learn more about the document and its place in history from the other information that is included in each entry.  This additional information includes a timeline, information about the document’s author and intended audience, a glossary, bibliography for further research, a discussion of the document’s impact, essential quotes from the document, and cross-references to related documents.

Library Lines – July 16, 2009

No matter what the weather, it is never difficult to appreciate the value of trees. From commodities such as wood to clean air to cooling shade, we depend on them for our continued quality of life. Enhancing your quality of life is also part of the mission of the Chatham Area Public Library.

It is the time of the year to get those outdoor projects finished, and if building a treehouse is on your list, then How to Build Treehouses, Huts, and Forts is for you. This handy guide covers topics from basic skills, tree and lumber selection, basic plans, and even how to build cool accessories like a cannon. Beneath trees can be a tough place to grow many of the usual plants found in gardens. Ortho’s All About Shade Gardening contains all one need know in order to have and maintain a thriving shaded garden and lawn. Of course, if you have the condition of little or no shade, then consider Garden Trees. With pointers for choosing from over 450 trees by type, size, season, and color, all with photos, is it a must consult before planting. Thinking ahead, Christmas is only six months away, and Ornaments: Creating Handmade Tree Decorations can help you add a personal touch to your own tree and they make great gifts.

When not working on a project, reading can be another productive use of your time. The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods is told by Julia Butterfly Hill who spent two years atop a giant redwood named Luna to try to stop a logging company from clear cutting the redwoods and the trees around them in Humboldt County, California. The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed recounts the murder of a sacred 300 year old, 165 feet tall Sitka Spruce in the historically violently contested Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, and the violence that ultimately consumed the tree and its killer in the late 1990’s. The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring is the account of a small team of botanists and naturalists that discovered and explored a previously undiscovered ecosystem 300 feet above the ground in the tallest trees ever to grow, Northern California’s Redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens).

For the fiction lovers, The Tall Pine Polka is a story of romantic intrigue and the tensions exposed when a film crew invades the small town of Tall Pine in the woods of Minnesota. The Way Through the Woods is the tenth Inspector Morse mystery by Colin Dexter. The quirky British detective is on an unsolved case surrounding and anonymous cryptic poem. King’s Oak by Anne Rivers Siddons is the tale of a divorced woman who moves to the south and falls in love with a man who has renounced his aristocratic ways in order to live in and protect, at great risk, the eerie mystic woods that border the town.

If you have been looking for something but seem to be barking up the wrong trees, branch out and swing into the Chatham Area Public Library. Way bigger than a knot hole, and way less round, it is a good place for tree nuts.

Annual Sweet Corn Book and Bake Sale

Be sure to drop by the library on Saturday, July 18th for the Annual Sweet Corn Book and Bake Sale, sponsored by Friends of the Chatham Area Public Library.  The sale starts at 9:00 a.m. and will end at 3:00 p.m. $2 bags start at 2:00 p.m.  So mark your calendars and plan to stop by to pick up a few treats and books.

Jodi Picoult Read-Alikes

Are you on the waiting list for My Sister’s Keeper?  Or are you an ardent Jodi Picoult fan who has read all her books and can’t wait for her next one to come out?  Well, here’s a list of books and authors that just might tide you over until your book comes in.

Jodi Picoult’s novels tend to focus on ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations.  She takes on contemporary issues, and shows characters on both sides.  Her books are thought provoking and raise many questions–but Picoult takes the stance that there are no easy answers.  The novels on this list share many of those traits.

ELIZABETH BERG

Open House – A woman whose husband leaves her makes ends meet by taking boarders into her house.

The Art of Mending – Two siblings, home for a family reunion, are shocked by abuse allegations their sister makes against their mother.

 

CHRISTOPHER A. BOHJALIAN

Before You Know Kindness – When a man is hurt in an accident with a hunting rifle, his family must cope not only with their own feelings and grief, but also the fact that the man’s employer wants to use his story in aid of their opposition to guns and hunting, which divides the family.

Midwives – When a woman dies during childbirth while under a midwife’s care, the midwife is charged with involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license.  The whole town is ignited, and everyone is taking sides.  But does anyone know what really happened?

ALICE HOFFMAN

Blue Diary – A popular, well-liked citizen’s arrest for murder shocks his town and his family.  He claims to be repentant and that he’s a different person now from the one who committed the crime, but can (or should) guilt be shed so easily?

The River King – Town/gown conflicts and class tensions complicate relationships at a New England prep school.  When one of the students is found dead in the river, things become even more complex.

ANN HOOD

The Knitting Circle – After the sudden death of her child, a woman joins a knitting circle and learns not only how to knit, but also how her grief may be healed.

The Properties of Water – A woman in a depressed Rhode Island town deals with various family difficulties such as her father’s Alzheimer’s disease and her own daughters’ growing pains.  Her life is further complicated when her sister comes back to town.

SUE MILLER

The Good Mother – A divorced couple become enmeshed in a custody battle for their daughter.  At issue is the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of the main character’s romantic life and her daughter’s exposure to it.

The World Below – After uprooting herself from San Francisco to her grandmother’s house in Vermont, which she has recently inherited, Catherine finds her grandmother’s diary.  While reading it, she is surprised to find the many parallels between their two lives.

JACQUELYN MITCHARD

The Deep End of the Ocean – A three-year-old boy is kidnapped from a crowded hotel lobby.  How will the family cope with his loss?  Nine years later, a twelve-year-old boy shows up on the family’s doorstep, offering to mow the lawn.  Is it the same child?

A Theory of Relativity – When the parents of a one-year-old girl die in a car crash, the two sides of the family descend into a heated custody battle, complicated by questions about adoption and “blood” relatives.

LUANNE RICE

Follow the Stars Home – Diane is forced to raise her daughter alone after her husband abandons them when he learns about their daughter’s health problems.  His brother, the local pediatrician, however, stands by mother and daughter.

Home Fires – After the breakdown of her marriage due to the death of their child, a woman leaves New York and her husband to return to the small New England town where she grew up to rebuild her life.

ANITA SHREVE

Body Surfing – Tutoring a couple’s daughter one summer in their New Hampshire beach cottage, the main character is caught up in unexpected family drama.

Light on Snow – Grieving dad and daughter find an abandoned baby in the snow.  Matters are complicated further when the baby’s mother turns up.

ANNE TYLER

Digging to America – Two families meet at the Baltimore airport as they await the arrival of their adopted Korean daughters.  Despite their differences (one family is American, one Iranian-American), they continue to meet each year to celebrate the girls’ Arrival Day.  But when one of the family members dies, it’s not only culture clash that complicates their relationships.

Ladder of Years – Tired of her life and feeling dissatisfied in her relationships with her husband and grown children, Delia drops it all to start a new life in a nearby town.

Midday Movie – July 8 @ 2:00 p.m. – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Join us for our monthly Midday Movie!  On the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00 p.m., we show a movie in the library’s Conference Room.  Come in for the movie and refreshments, and plan to stay after for a great discussion of the film.  Everyone is invited to attend–so plan to be there and bring a friend.

On July 8 at 2:00 p.m., we will be screening the Frank Capra classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, and Claude Rains.  Watch Jimmy Stewart playing the idealistic young politician, Mr. Smith, who gets appointed to the Senate as a replacement by senior politicians who suspect he’ll be a clueless pushover.  Little do they suspect that Mr. Smith’s idealism will spur him to take on the political corruption he finds in Congress–and win!

Also mark your calendars for next month’s Midday Movie on August 12, when we will be showing the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical State Fair.

Library Lines – June 18, 2009

If there is one thing that you can count on, it is that things will change. Very little in life remains constant. No matter how slowly or swiftly, changes are occurring in our bodies, on our planet, in our situations. Changes even affect the Chatham Area Public Library.

That does not mean that we have no control. The opposite is true, and the Library is the perfect place to examine changes or plan for them. For instance, many people will change their career at some point, and The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success offers some useful tips for those planning to do so. Others look to change the way they eat. Superfoods Healthstyle: Proven Strategies for Lifelong Health contains the appropriate techniques. Keeping up with changes in styles can be an expensive proposition, but it doesn’t have to be, as Born-Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent, and Recycle Your Wardrobe demonstrates.

Everyone’s appearance changes over time, and we all want to look our best. Forget the Facelift: Turn Back the Clock with Dr. Day’s Revolutionary Four Step Program for Ageless Skin is one way to stay on top. For Men Only: Looking Your Best Through Science, Surgery, and Common Sense shows guys how to retain and regain that which is threatened by time. Women have always had to go through “the change,” and Honey They Shrunk My Hormones: Humor and Insight from the Trenches of Midlife may help make that transition easier to deal with.

One of the most difficult things to do is to change someone’s mind. On the collective level, The Tyranny of Dead Ideas: Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Prosperity addresses the ideas that no longer work for our nation and presents new mindsets that will better serve us. Individually, How to Change Anybody: Proven Techniques to Reshape Anyone’s Attitude, Behavior, Feelings, or Beliefs offers methods for changing people rather than “dealing” with them.

Climate change is a hot topic, and With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change explains why. The issue is also changing our society in new ways. The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass, and Hydropower is in response to it. But there is also opportunity in the challenge. Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying contains ideas for prospering while responding appropriately. While climate change is affecting societies in a number of ways, Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilizations End exposes other threats to mankind from space, the sun, super-volcanoes, and other long overdue phenomena.

Change is not a bad thing; it is a constant. The Chatham Area Public Library has grown and changed to accommodate the changing needs of a growing community. If you haven’t been by in a while, stop in and see how the changes help us to better serve your needs.