Librarian’s Note, August 2016

Librarian’s Note

Reading Public Library provides downloadable audio books and e-books for adults and children at no cost through “Listen Up Vermont.” The collection can be accessed at listenupvermont.org. Once you’ve installed the free software and decided on a book, just add the title to your basket and sign it out with your patron number. If the audio book you want is checked out, you can place it on reserve and you’ll receive an email when it becomes available.

After downloading the audio file to your computer, you can close the Internet connection and listen offline. You can also transfer the file to portable devices, and some books can be burned to CD. You can check out up to three titles at a time. At the end of the loan period, the computer files automatically expire and the books are returned to the digital collection. There are never any late fees or damage costs. For more information, take the guided tour on the “Listen Up Vermont” website. If you don’t know your patron number, call or email me at the library.

The library offers a pass for many of Vermont’s state parks, good for free entry into designated park day-areas for up to 8 people in a vehicle. The pass can be checked out for 2 days and is good at Ascutney, Plymouth, Wilgus, and Silver Lake state parks, among others. We’ve got a similar pass for half a dozen Vermont historical sites, including the Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield, the Old Constitution House in Windsor, and the Calvin Coolidge Birthplace at Plymouth Notch. The passes are good until the parks and historic sites close for the season; those dates vary according to the rules of the individual park or site. The libary also has a free year-round pass for VINS (VT Institute of Natural Science) in Quechee.

It’s worth mentioning that the library does have air conditioning. If you’re ever in need of a respite from the summer heat, stop in.

Cordially,

Tony

Reading Public Library. Tues. 12-3:30 p.m. & 4-7; Thurs. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & 2-5; Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mail: P.O. Box 7, Reading, VT 05062. Tel. 802-484-5588. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.readinglibrary.org. The board meets the last Tues. of each mth. at 6 p.m. Wi-Fi 24/7.

 

Librarian’s Note, July 2016

Librarian’s Note

The library has purchased about 25 of the books from the current Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Children’s Book Award Master List. Since 1957, the DCF award has honored quality literature for grades 4-8. Each spring, a committee nominates 30 books. After reading at least 5 books from the list, Vermont students then vote for their favorites.

The library offers a pass for many of Vermont’s state parks, good for free entry into designated park day-areas for up to 8 people in a vehicle. The pass can be checked out for 2 days and is good at Ascutney, Plymouth, Wilgus, and Silver Lake state parks, among others. We’ve got a similar pass for half a dozen Vermont historical sites, including the Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield, the Old Constitution House in Windsor, and the Calvin Coolidge Birthplace at Plymouth Notch. The passes are good until the parks and historic sites close for the season. The libary also has a free year-round pass for VINS.

The library provides free access to Universal Class, an online continuing education service with a growing catalog of more than 500 courses. Classes normally cost $50 to $250 each but our patrons can take up to 5 at a time at no cost. Program features include 24/7 access anywhere via the Internet, real instructors guiding the learning, engaging video-based lessons, a collaborative learning environment, graded lesson tests, continuing education units, and certificates of achievement. Areas of study include the arts, business, computers, cooking, crafts, financial management, gardening, GED training, hobbies, home decorating, legal studies, math, natural remedies, office skills, psychology, real estate, science, special education, spirituality, web development, and writing.

Patrons register using an access code and then participate in the online classes at their own pace. Although additional reading materials are recommended, they are almost always optional. Most courses can be completed within 10-20 hours. Patrons can take up to 6 months to complete an individual class and can correspond online with instructors. Patrons can drop or add classes as they wish. These are non-credit continuing education courses, provided for personal enrichment. To get your own access code, contact me at the library.

Libraries provide a non-judgmental gateway to the information you want. They support your right to seek—and have access to—information, whoever you are. In a sometimes fractious political and social climate, where not only newscasts but also entire networks have staked out territory on the right or the left, then circled the wagons, libraries remain places where all points of view can be explored. And unlike most institutions, libraries are interested in your privacy.

Cordially,

Tony

Reading Public Library. Tues. 12-3:30 p.m. & 4-7; Thurs. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & 2-5; Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mail: P.O. Box 7, Reading, VT 05062. Tel. 802-484-5588. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.readinglibrary.org. The board meets the last Tues. of each mth. at 6 p.m. Wi-Fi 24/7.

 

Librarian’s Note, June 2016

Librarian’s Note

We have a free pass (admits 4) available for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) in Quechee. In addition to raptor enclosures, a songbird exhibit, and nature trails, there are many seasonal programs on site for families to enjoy. The library also offers a pass for many of Vermont’s state parks, good for free entry into designated park day-areas for up to 8 people in a vehicle. The pass can be checked out for 2 days and is good at Ascutney, Plymouth, Wilgus, and Silver Lake state parks, among others. We’ve got a similar pass for half a dozen Vermont historical sites, including the Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield, the Old Constitution House in Windsor, and the Calvin Coolidge Birthplace at Plymouth Notch. The passes are good until the parks and historic sites close for the season; those dates vary according to the rules of the individual park or site.

The library carries Consumer Reports magazine, which rates everything from cars to cell phones. We keep a year’s worth of issues here for perusal or for loan. Because there are no ads in the magazine, Consumer Reports is beholden to no one but us, the consumers. They have an extensive website, as well, but charge an annual fee to use it fully. The library has access. If you’d like to see about a product that hasn’t been covered in the magazine recently, drop in and I’ll get you onto the site free.

The library’s Board of Trustees meets the last Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. here at the library. We want to remind folks that the meetings are open to anyone who wants to sit in. There is an opportunity during meetings for visitors to speak about concerns they may have or to offer suggestions; we encourage either, or both. With the addition of a wheelchair lift some years ago, the main floor, the bathroom, and the children’s room (by the way) are all accessible.

Libraries teach and reinforce important social values, particularly to children. The idea of borrowing, using, caring for, and returning a shared public resource is considered valuable and unique to libraries. By caring for community resources, residents exhibit respect for others in their town. In this way, the library helps build good citizens.

Cordially,

Tony

Reading Public Library. Tues. 12-3:30 p.m. & 4-7; Thurs. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & 2-5; Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mail: P.O. Box 7, Reading, VT 05062. Tel. 802-484-5588. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.readinglibrary.org. The board meets the last Tues. of each mth. at 6 p.m. Wi-Fi 24/7.

 

 

 

Librarian’s Note, May 2016

We have free passes available for VINS in Quechee, the American Precision Museum in Windsor, the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, and the Vermont History Museum, with branches in Montpelier and Barre; and we have reduced-price passes for Echo Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.

HeritageQuest is a database providing patrons with research materials for tracing family history and American culture. Search in City Directories, Slave Schedules, U.S. Indian Census Rolls, Mortality Schedules, Agricultural and Industrial Schedules, the Veterans Schedule, U.S. Federal Census images, family and local histories, the Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-land Warrant Application Files, or the Freedman’s Bank. Library patrons can access this database for free from anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Call, e-mail, or come by the library to obtain the login information.

Because of a lack of storage space, Reading Public Library can no longer accept donations of books. You can try one of the neighboring libraries or Violet’s Book Exchange in Claremont. If the books are in poor condition, you can put them in the recycling bin with the newspapers at the dump.

Our library is a provider of free and continuous public access to a fiber internet connection via 24/7 Wi-Fi. Some of our patrons depend on our service because they have no broadband Internet at home, or have unreliable or inadequate broadband. As their needs change, our capacity will increase to meet those needs.

Libraries give curious minds the opportunity to sample outside their comfort zones. A good library will feature a collection of materials that will surprise and delight patrons—making available to them ideas they might otherwise have missed.

 

Librarian’s Note, June 2015

The library has free passes available for the American Precision Museum in Windsor, the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, the Fort at No. 4 Living History Museum, and the Vermont History Museum, with branches in Montpelier and Barre; and we have reduced-price passes for Echo Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.

We also offer a pass for many of Vermont’s state parks, good for free entry into designated park day-areas for up to eight people in a vehicle. The pass can be checked out for two days and is good at Ascutney, Plymouth, Wilgus, and Silver Lake state parks, among others. We’ve got a similar pass for half a dozen Vermont historical sites, including the Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield, the Old Constitution House in Windsor, and the Calvin Coolidge Birthplace at Plymouth Notch.

Our “Books Have Legs” display has three new anecdotes. David Rowlee, Milde Waterfall, and Maryann Allcroft each shared thoughts about some special books. Stop in and take a look on the wall above the stairs leading to the children’s room. We will continue to highlight additonal entries as they come in. If you’d like to share a few sentences about a book that played an important role in your life, you can pick up an entry form at the library.

We have added about eighty-five DVDs to our collection—classics, comedies, dramas, the whole gamut. They’re all available for check-out. The Vermont Movie is available as well for folks who’d like to see the documentary but couldn’t attend the library’s showing.

The town library provided nine of the ten nominated Red Clover picture books to the school for the kids to read and vote on in class. About a dozen of the kids, in turn, provided the town library with written reviews of the books. The kids’ reviews are laid out atop the bookcase in the library’s children’s room as a guide to parents. We also sent many of the nominated Dorothy Canfield Fisher books over to the older elementary students to read and vote on in class. We very much enjoy working with the school and want to thank the teachers and administrative staff for encouraging the collaboration.

In that spirit, we are working with some of the sixth graders, who are organizing and running a family movie night here at the library. As of this writing, we haven’t yet settled on a specific movie, but it will be shown on Saturday, June 6, at 6:30. Kids may bring pillows and sleeping bags or blankets. They can attend in their pajamas if they like and can bring along a doll or stuffed animal. Popcorn and lemonade will be served.

Cordially,
Tony

Librarian’s Note, May 2015

On Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m., Reading Public Library will host a free program, “Menus, Memories & Memorabilia.” Jane Soule, owner of South Woodstock’s Hyacinth House B&B, will share menus, memories, and memorabilia from the 1940s and ‘50s, when her aunt ran the place as a guest house. Jane will share handwritten recipes and menus from those years, along with old recipe books, records of where folks did their shopping, and the names of local farmers and food suppliers from the period. Refreshments reminiscent of the mid-twentieth century will be served. Join us for an exploration of how life and eating habits have changed in Windsor County. For more information, call the library at 484-5588.

 

Cordially,

Tony

 

 

Librarian’s Note, March 2015

The Reading Public Library is currently showing Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie, the first-ever documentary series about the state. The six-part film is a collaboration of over four dozen VT filmmakers. The film is thematic, not chronological, exploring themes in the state’s history that recur and circle back, from 1777 to the present. Each part is approximately 80 minutes long. The remaining parts will be shown on the following Fridays at 7 p.m.

March 6 – Part 3: “Refuge, Reinvention and Revolution” (exploring innovation, interstates, and counter-culture).

March 20 – Part 4: “Doers and Shapers” (exploring progressivism in education and state law, from Act 250 to civil unions).

April 3 – Part 5: “Ceres’ Children” (exploring participatory democracy and ethics in conservation and farming).

April 24 – Part 6: “People’s Power” (exploring contemporary tensions over energy, independence, climate, and the state’s future).

The popcorn and the program are free.

We have set up a display inside the library for three of our “Books Have Legs” anecdotes. Sharon Harkins, Libbet Downs, and Esther Allen each shared thoughts about some special books. Stop in and take a look on the wall above the stairs leading to the children’s room. We will display three new anecdotes next month. Thanks to all who participated. If you’d like to share a few sentences about a book that played an important role in your life, you can pick up an entry form near the display.

This winter’s book-discussion series features Remembrance of Things Past, the multi-volume novel by Marcel Proust. In March we will be discussing the second volume, Within A Budding Grove. Call the library for the meeting time and date. For those who have a Kindle or an iPad with a Kindle app, you can purchase the entire novel for $2.99 at Amazon. Or you can read it online at openculture.com. I also have one copy of the novel to loan; and the library has a Kindle with a copy of the novel on it. I would probably be able to get one copy via interlibrary loan, as well.

 

Cordially,

Tony

 

 

 

Librarian’s Note, February 2015

The Reading Public Library will be showing Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie, the first-ever documentary series about the state. The six-part film is a collaboration of over four dozen VT filmmakers. Sponsors include the VT Arts Council, VT Humanities Council, and the VT Country Store. Advisors include historians, educators, artists, and authors. The film is thematic, not chronological, exploring themes in the state’s history that recur and circle back, from 1777 to the present. Each part is approximately 80 minutes long. They will be shown on the following Fridays at 7 p.m.

February 6 – Part 1: “A Very New Idea” (exploring the Native and Colonial roots from which VT grew).

February 20 – Part 2: “Under the Surface” (exploring labor wars, eugenics, the McCarthy era, and progressive Republicanism).

March 6 – Part 3: “Refuge, Reinvention and Revolution” (exploring innovation, interstates, and counter-culture).

March 20 – Part 4: “Doers and Shapers” (exploring progressivism in education and state law, from Act 250 to civil unions).

April 3 – Part 5: “Ceres’ Children” (exploring participatory democracy and ethics in conservation and farming).

April 24 – Part 6: “People’s Power” (exploring contemporary tensions over energy, independence, climate, and the state’s future).

The popcorn and the program are free.

This winter’s book-discussion series will feature Remembrance of Things Past, the multi-volume novel by Marcel Proust. We will be discussing the first volume, Swann’s Way, on Tuesday, February 17, at 7 p.m. For those who have a Kindle or an iPad with a Kindle app, you can purchase the entire novel for $2.99 at Amazon. Or you can read it online at openculture.com. I also have one copy of the novel at home; and the library has a Kindle with a copy of the novel on it. I will probably be able to get one copy via interlibrary loan, as well.

 

Cordially,

Tony

 

Librarian’s Note, January 2015

The collecting of anecdotes for the library project “Books Have Legs” wraps up on Saturday, January 10th. We’re looking for your thoughts about a book that has been meaningful to you in some way—a book that made a lasting impression, a book you remember with fondness. Perhaps you read it (or it was read to you) as a child, or as a teen, or late in life. Whatever the case, we’d like to hear about it. Please include your name, the title and author of the book, when you read it, and 3 – 10 sentences capturing the importance of the book in your life. You can mail your entry to the Reading Public Library, P.O. Box 7, Reading, VT 05062; email it to [email protected]; or drop off a copy. We welcome the participation of adults and children alike and hope to highlight some of the vignettes in the coming year. Continue reading “Librarian’s Note, January 2015”

Librarian’s Note, December 2014

The fall programs take a lot of coordinating but always provide some of our favorite moments. We painted and carved pumpkins with the preschoolers and elementary kids, then lit up the carved pumpkins on the library stoop for Halloween. We also had a lovely little program with the Kindergartners, who created sachets with lavender harvested from the library’s fledgling herb garden. And we had a full house for the showing of the film Olafur Eliasson: Space Is Process. This is the second time we have partnered with the Hall Art Foundation to show a film about an artist and then see his work at the foundation galleries. Last year’s program was successful; this year’s was more so. We hope to make this an annual event. Continue reading “Librarian’s Note, December 2014”