Vol. 7 No.16. April 21, 2005

Quote of the Week:
"Nature is a Haunted House- but Art- a house that tries to be haunted." - Emily Dickinson


Fun Facts about the Upcoming Week
Did you know that...
April 21,1961 - The Beatles debuted at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.
April 22, 1976 - Barbara Walters became the first female nightly network news anchor.
April 23, 1564 - William Shakespeare was born.
April 24, 1800 - The Library of Congress was established with a $5,000 allocation.
April 25, 1928 - A seeing eye dog was used for the first time.
April 26, 1964 - The Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive NBA title. They won two more before the streak came to an end.
Source: http://www.on-this-day.com/


If this is April, Hug a Poet
OK, show of hands! How many “Off the Shelf ” readers read poetry? Let's be honest, probably not many. For many readers, poetry often feels intimidating, inaccessible, even boring. Many of us need encouragement to "get into" reading the works of poets.

And yet, poetry can be wonderful, inspiring, comforting. We can easily find poetry to match our mood, be it thoughtful, sad, joyful, or angry. During April which is National Poetry Month, why not give poetry a chance? Go to www.poets.org. and you will find all kind of poetry resources including lists of new books of poetry, a Poetry Book Club, and the opportunity to sign up to have "a poem a day" sent to your email.

Do you have a poem to share with me? Or a special experience or memory involving poetry? I would love you to share your thoughts on poetry with other Off the Shelf readers. As always, you can write to me at rplfeed@noblenet.org

House Tour Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, April 23
Mark your calendars! You don't want to miss the Friends of the Reading Public Library's Annual House Tour! This year's tour is scheduled for Sunday, May 15 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. It's always a treat to visit some of the most beautifully and creatively decorated homes in Reading. Eight wonderful homes, plus the new Wood End School, are on this year's tour. So please join us, get some new decorating ideas, and get inspired! This year, participants will also have the opportunity to enter a raffle, with winners announced at the end of the tour. The raffle winner will have a room in his or her own home redesigned by a local professional decorator, Melanie Murphy of Redecorating by Melanie.

Tickets for the Friends of the Library’s Annual Reading House Tour will go on sale Saturday, April 23 at the Library Circulation Desk. The price is $25 each, cash or check. Discounted tickets are available for Friends of the Library members ($20). Wouldn't now be a great time to join the Friends? In addition to supporting the Library, you can take advantage of the special ticket price for Friends members. For information about how to join the Friends, go to http://www.readingpl.org/membership.html

All checks should be made out to the Friends of the Reading Public Library. Proceeds go to fund the many programs and services provided by the Friends of the Library. Join your friends and neighbors in participating in this beloved annual event. It's a wonderful way to celebrate spring, and support your library!


Reminder!
Don’t forget the Library’s special event with young adult and children’s author Maria Testa on Thursday evening, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. Maria Testa is the author of the several critically acclaimed novels including Becoming Joe DiMaggio which was selected as an American Library Association Notable Book for Children, an IRA Children's Choice, and a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Winner, among other accolades. Becoming Joe DiMaggio is the story of young Joseph Paul, born in 1936. In 24 brief vignettes, Testa tightly braids together the strands integral to his life: family, baseball and the ways in which the exploding world affects him and those close to him. This novel has been described as “powerfully moving.” Don't miss an opportunity to hear this fascinating and talented writer talk about her work and her life. This program is free and open to all.


New Materials
To see the list of library materials purchased this month, follow this link: http://www.readingpl.org/lists.html or go to the library homepage at http://www.readingpl.org/and click on Book, Audio and Video Lists.


Introducing Our Newest Librarian, Andrea Mercado
Recently I interviewed our newest member of the Reference Department. Here is a transcript of our conversation:

You do a lot of consulting for libraries and businesses. Can you describe your consulting work? How will you use the skills and experience you have developed through your consulting work at the Reading Public Library?

As a "librarian-for-hire", I am a co-manager of the Public Libraries Association (PLA) Blog http://www.plablog.org, where I write about PLA events, initiatives, and conferences, as well as what's going on at public libraries around the country. I also have several corporate, school, and public library clients, and I maintain my own librarian blog at LibraryTechtonics.info.

The coolest part of consulting is that I get to sample different types of librarianship and information specialist work, from competitive intelligence (helping businesses do holistic research about business stuff), to freelance reference over instant messenger, to web site usability and services development for public libraries. This diversity of skills always comes in handy as a reference librarian, and I can gather fresh ideas from other places for workshops, programs, and how to answer questions that I can bring back and apply to my work at Reading Public Library.

Why did you decide to get a degree in library science? I've always been an information junkie and research freak. After working in technology for six years doing everything from web development to project management, I had a two-year stint as a volunteer researcher for an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, and I thought to myself, "How can I do this for a living?" And thus another library school student (and future librarian) was born.

What appeals to you about working in the Reference Department? I love that the information desk is an unpredictable adventure, since I never know what I'll be asked on any given day. I also love working with the other reference staff; I'm learning so much from them. Their reference kung fu is mighty!

What other things will you be doing besides working at the reference desk? Along with working the desk, I'll be teaching all of the technology classes here at the library. My plan is to continue the current courses, as well as adding new courses, such as putting pictures online, blogs, RSS news feeds, using free portals like My Yahoo! and My MSN, and more. I'll also be authoring a "Tech Tip of the Week" weekly in the Off the Shelf newsletter. I'm taking recommendations for courses and tips, so patrons should let me know what they'd like to learn.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Alice Walker and Banana Yoshimoto have been longtime favorites of mine, while Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson, and Cory Doctorow are recent faves (part of my recent sci fi bender). Some of my favorite blogs include BoingBoing.net, Librarian.net, and EnglishMajor.com/babble.html.

Finish this sentence: "I dream, in 10 years......." .librarians will rule the world!

Is there anything else that you would like people to know about you? I own two very cute and *friendly* ferrets, Lucy and Gabriel. Consummate searchers with lots of energy and determination, they are the ultimate librarian pet.

Andrea will be working Monday and Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Please stop by the Information Desk and say hello!


Slackers Title Announced: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Missing cows and absent husbands, hungry crocodiles and a cast of rogues and innocents sweltering under the African sun - it's all in a day's work for Mma Precious Ramotswe, the founding mamma of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. A woman of warmth, wisdom and "traditional build," Precious is the main character in the now famous mystery series by Alexander McCall Smith, a Scottish lawyer and university professor.

Imagine Precious as a sort of fat and jolly Miss Marple, but one who lives in Botswana, Africa and whose cases include a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors. This little gem of a book has been called “ One of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious and life-affirming books to appear in years." (review in the Cleveland Plain Dealer) It is a delightful read, and one you will want to share with other members in the Slackers Book Club. Copies of the book and comment cards for Slackers Book Club members are located on the Main floor near the Information Desk. For more about Sandy McCall Smith and his books, go to http://www.randomhouse.com/features/mccallsmith/.


SIPS (Short Interesting Program Series)
Reading resident Tiffany Bradlee creates hand-painted items that range from elegant and sophisticated to colorfully whimsical. Please join us at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, April 26 when Tiffany will present “ Painted by Hand,” a discussion of painting furniture and other treasures. The program is free of charge and will be held in the Meeting Room. Coffee and tea are provided, and a lucky attendee will win a door prize!

SIPS is a free, informal series of presentations organized by the Reading Public Library. Each month SIPS attempts to connect you with members of the local business community who offer a close-up glimpse of the services they provide.


Teen Craft Night—Tonight!
Join us in the Library’s Conference Room from 6-8 p.m. where we will be working on a new paper craft project (the library will provide materials). If you would prefer, please also feel free to bring along any of your unfinished scrapbook, card or other paper craft project. Hope to see you there!


Website of the Week:
What Kind of Dog Are You?
http://www.gone2thedogs.com/
Ever wonder what kind of dog you'd be? Recently the anchors of the television program“Good Morning America” took the quiz and announced their results on air. (Diane Sawyer was a sheepdog) And you? Are you a shihtzu? A terrier? More like a bulldog than a poodle? Simply answer ten questions as honestly and accurately as possible to find out what kind of dog you resemble most.

WHAT’S HAPPENING @ YOUR LIBRARY!
All events listed take place at the Reading Public Library, 64 Middlesex
Avenue, Reading, unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, April 21: Teen Craft Night. Join us in the Library’s Conference Room where we will be working on a new paper craft project (the library will provide materials). If you would prefer, please also feel free to bring along any of your unfinished scrapbook, card or other paper craft project. 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Tuesday April 26: Word of Mouth. Reference Librarian Kathy Miksis leads participants in an informal chat about books: 10:30 a.m., in the Conference Room.

Tuesday, April 26: Microsoft Word, Part 2. Hands-on computer instruction, taught by Head of Information Services, Lorraine Barry. Go beyond the basics. Prerequisite: MS Word part 1. Registrants must also have familiarity with using a computer mouse. Pre-register at the Information Desk, by phone (781-942-9103) or by email. 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Computer Lab

Tuesday, April 26: SIPS presents "Painted by Hand" in the Reading Public Library Meeting Room. Local artist Tiffany Bradlee will present a program on painting furniture and other treasures. Fun, informative, and free! 7:00p.m.

Wednesday April 27: Lapsit program for children age 2 and under, and caregiver. Registration required. Four Wednesdays (April 27, May 4, May 18, May 25) 9:30 or 10:15.

Wednesday, April 27: Senior Book Discussion. This month’s book is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Discussion will be led by Deidre Reilly. Copies of this book are available at the Library. At the Senior Center 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 28: Author Visit with Maria Testa. All are invited to come and hear a talk by this noted author of both children’s and young adult books. Ms. Testa’s books address a variety of topics that range from children with Down's syndrome to Vietnam to baseball. Her titles include Becoming Joe Dimaggio, Almost Forever and Some Place to Go. In the Library’s Meeting Room. 7:30 -9:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 30: Teen Advisory Group meeting. We are focusing on the TEEN TABLE - bring your work clothes! If you are not a TAG Member and would like to join, please contatact Susan Beauregard or Amy Lannon at the library or email rdgteen@noblenet.org
rdgteen@noblenet.org. 11:00 a.m.


The Last Word
U.S. public library cardholders outnumber Amazon customers by almost 5 to 1!

That’s all for now,
Elizabeth Dickinson
Assistant Director

Library Hours
Mondays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wednesdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please drop us a line at rplfeed@noblenet.org to let us know what you think.