Here we are in the month of August, still sweating and sweltering away. What happened to the weather this summer? We’ve been bouncing from one wacky weather extreme to another. So, for those of you who are getting away on a vacation, I hope you get a break from this weather, and are met with pleasant sunny days. Another plus to your vacation would be a book. No matter what you plan there is usually a point in the day where having something to read is just the ticket. Whether you’re basking on the Indiana Dunes or sitting in an Adirondack chair on Mackinac Island. Now the question is: What …

How often does a librarian get to hear two great authors discuss their work within the same week?  At Bookfest on June 18, Mary Doria Russell shared her process in creating her latest book, Doc, a retelling of the early days of Doc Holliday. And last Thursday, thriller writer Karin Slaughter came to town. In a room packed with librarians, Slaughter (who reminded me of  a feminine Huck Finn) quickly won all hearts with a description of “Save the Libraries,” a foundation she spearheaded for the purpose of channeling funds to financially strapped public libraries.  She and fellow library-loving …

Do you think maybe your children will have time on their hands this summer? Often the vacation period ends up as an educational void, unless of course something like summer school is planned. Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education thinks something should be done about this. “We know that for far too many children, reading achievement stalls when schoolwork stops for the summer," explained Duncan in a statement listed on the Education Department website. "The key to stopping summer learning loss is reading. If a child reads a minimum of five books between June and August, they will be on…

Everybody in Glen Ellyn knows that the library has books and movies available to its patrons. Now there is something new -- video games have arrived! In the past, gaming has been a topic of controversy. We see children spending hours playing games instead of living in the real world, and get worried. We librarians  think carefully chosen games can be beneficial and do indeed have  a place in the library. Let's look at some statistics from the Entertainment Software Association. 67 percent of American households play computer of video games. 26 percent of Americans over the age of 50 play …

You might have noticed some changes happening at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. Not only on the second floor--part of which seems to have disappeared--but also in the juvenile department on the first floor. We’re altering the physical space to reflect new ways of serving our audience--the children of Glen Ellyn, which to us is a very important group of readers. New shelving, new programming, and new emphasis areas are all part of a new way of thinking in the library and world of publishing. Just past the computers is a new set of low shelves designed for the emergent reader. What is an …

Wednesday I met with the library’s book discussion group to talk about "Train Go Sorry", by Leah Hager Cohen. I chose this book because the group likes books of substance, books that open up a world they haven’t been invited into before. “Train go sorry” is an expression the deaf use, meaning “You missed the boat,” a connection has not been made.  The author is the granddaughter of deaf immigrants and the daughter of hearing parents. At the time of the book’s publication,  Cohen’s father Oscar was superintendent at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City. Leah spent her first eight…

I’m looking forward to seeing the newest cinematic version of Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, the tale of the plain orphan girl who wins the heart of the fearsome Mr. Rochester, he with the crazy wife in the tower.  This great old chestnut is always checked out of the library. Clearly, it’s been around since 1847 for a reason. Jane Eyre is the original chick lit, but great chick lit. Its plot line combines many genres in one: mystery, gothic suspense, rags to riches, coming of age, ghost story and romance with palpable sexual tension. Jane is plain and pious, but self-reliant and intelligent…

As soon as I got to the library Wednesday morning, my co-workers told me Elizabeth Taylor had died.  I felt surprised at her death, stupidly of course, since she was 79 and had had health problems for so much of her life. Still, I haven’t felt this sad at the death of someone I never met since Jimmy Stewart and Audrey Hepburn died, when I actually shed tears. Elizabeth Taylor was one of those people always there.  She wasn’t supposed to die like a mere mortal. She landed in my six year-old consciousness with a thunk when she stole Eddie Fisher from Debbie Reynolds.  My mother was scandalized …

If you are like me, you must have wondered what is up with all those TV commercials showing pictures of happy, well dressed people pounding away at their home computers. The sponsor is often some variation on the word “trade,” like Etrade, Ameritrade, or Scottrade. Brokers’ services used to cost hundreds of dollars a transaction, but since 1975 the price has dropped to between $5 and $10 dollars per transaction.  What I am referring to is online investing, and the year 1975 is important because on May 1 (so called “May Day”) of that year the SEC dissolved NYSE fixed commission rates for stock…

As I write this,  St. Patrick’s Day is descending upon us. I am of Irish descent.  I can sing, though not well, many Irish songs.  Everyone seems to enjoy this holiday.  But St Patrick’s Day hasn’t always been the raucous holiday that it is now. During most of the 20th century, pubs in Ireland were legally closed on that day.  The first time the Irish government took the holiday and its associated festivities seriously was in the mid-90s, and that was driven by a desire for publicity.  I was surprised to find that St. Patrick is not even a canonized saint.  Can that be true?   Did St. Patrick…

Did you know that in 1790 only 2 percent of the population was over 65?  I guess that the small number of seniors defused the issues of aging—they probably got more respect too. These days the picture is different: in the year 2000 the over-65 population averaged 12.4 percent. The oldest baby boomers are turning 65 and the publishing world is replete with books on aging. Aside from the expected books on finance, health and retirement, the library’s collection reflects a few different takes on the subject: 1. With strict attention to diet and exercise, decrepit old age need not sneak up on us…

I admit I don’t care a whit about sports, but the (somewhat) recent Bears mania has reminded me of my girlish fondness for—don’t laugh—Yogi Berra.  I read his biographies and pinned his picture up in my room.  I loved Yogi because people in their ignorance underestimated him, called him a monkey, made fun of his language and looks.   He was the underdog.  My feeling about Yogi was similar to preferring schleppy Ringo over Paul.  Yogi was no slouch however: he was named Most Valuable Player three times!  My grandfather took me to Yankee stadium when I was about nine years old.  My strongest …

Last week I attempted to provide a simplified overview of eBooks. This week I'll concentrate on eAudiobooks and audiobook players. These devices are the slightly less glamorous cousins of the eBook. These are books that you listen to rather than read. They certainly have their place in the grand scheme of things—try reading an eBook while you are driving or doing the dishes.   The Audio Publishers Association’s 2010 survey indicated 37 percent of adult respondents have listened to an audio book, and that number is rising. Navigating the rocky shoals of audiobooks and audiobook players …

E-books are all the rage these days. USA Today recently reported a telling statistic: eBooks outsold print versions of the top six books on their bestsellers list. Unfortunately,  the nuts and bolts of eBooks and eBook readers can be very confusing. I’m going to try to provide a little clarity on this topic for those of you that find it bewildering.   We aren’t going to mix audio books in with eBooks however. They are different animals. An eBook is an electronic copy of a book. That means you will probably read it looking at some kind of screen like the one used for a PC .  You can load it …

I've noticed recently that my husband has been looking at his computer screen with furrowed brow. IRS tax code (section 6721) mandates that employers deliver employee's w-2 forms by January 31 or face stiff penalties. Well, he's just received ours and has started some serious number crunching. Our entry into Tax Season  has begun. In sympathy with his plight, I thought I might pass along some information about both library and non-library resources that might aid those of you beginning your own perilous journey. First of all, the library's webpage provides many useful links. For those of you …

Right now my husband is rattling around the kitchen seeking yet again to create perfect macaroni and cheese. Mac and cheese seems to be a sort of culinary Holy Grail for him and I often wonder: Wherefore this quest? Why does it matter? What happens when he achieves his goal? Will he go on to the ultimate chicken pot pie? When I ask him, he just looks at me as if to say, isn’t it obvious? It must have something to do with the allure of comfort food. Maybe he’s yearning for the days of yore when Mom served up the mac and cheese that only she could make, although I remember it as a glutinous …

I’ve always been fascinated by the transformation of books into films. Each year an average of 30 novels is made into movies. Most often, it seems to me, the book is better than the movie, but sometimes the movie bests the book – Jaws, for example. Film adaptations necessitate changes and condensations by their very nature, so it’s interesting to see the decisions filmmakers make. I saw the new Coen brothers’ version of True Grit the other day. It was outstanding. The dialogue, devoid of contractions, is taken almost verbatim from the book and is often hilarious. You can’t help but compare it…

In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of doors and beginnings: January is his month. Most often he is depicted as having two heads facing opposite directions: one head looks back at the last year while the other looks forward to the new. Now is the traditional time for self-reflection. Time to look back at the past year's achievements, or lack thereof. Time to look forward to what can be changed. Between 40 percent and 50 percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions, and these are the most common; quit smoking, quit drinking, get organized, get out of debt, exercise, lose weight and …

What do these people have in common: the Queen of the Nile, an impoverished Southern tobacco farmer, a hard-living rock and rock legend, a cancer specialist and six million black southerners emigrating to the North?  All occupy a place of pride at the top of many best nonfiction books of 2010  lists.  At the library we have culled critics' choices from the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and other esteemed publications to determine the crème de crème.  Here are five: In The Warmth of Other Suns,  Isabel Wilkerson presents her study of the early to mid 20th century migration …