Halloween is upon us once again, and you can count on the Library to help you and your children get into the spirit.

The shelves are abound with Halloween books that are informational, spooky and just plain fun, including my new favorite picture book, Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara. The adorable story about a young witch girl and her haunted house is filled with retro illustrations that make this book not only a wonderful addition to the Halloween genre, but picture books in general.

There are some great Halloween websites out there that are worth checking out. You can access a list of authoritative sites which include games, costume making, safety tips and more by visiting KidSpace @ The Internet Public Library.

The Dunwoody Library, Doraville Library and Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library will be hosting Halloween programs this week. Stop by and check out these fun, free programs!

How do you get in the Halloween spirit?

Right now many adults are revisiting (and perhaps introducing their kids to) the 1963 classic Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, thanks largely to the new film adaptation of the book from director Spike Jonze. From the critics salivating over the new film to readers and scholars with fond memories of Sendak’s book, most fans agree that Where The Wild Things Are is impeccable in its celebration of childhood imagination and groundbreaking in its recognition of childhood angst and anger, even. But you can troll the web yourself for in-depth critical analysis of the book–I’ll try to steer clear of all of that.

In my day-to-day library work, I’m often stumbling onto old childhood favorites of mine, books that resonated for one reason or another. Here are a few of the ones that are truly special to me:

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe: I remember truly enjoying this book, not for the intriguing Cinderella-esque story alone but also because of Steptoe’s gorgeous and evocative illustrations. The thing that struck me most about the artwork was that it seemed to have so much richness and texture. The illustrations had this quality about them that made me want to reach out and touch the characters.

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard: To this day, this book reminds me of my 4th grade teacher Miss Armstrong. She was a very sweet lady but my class sort of took her kindness for weakness. Miss Armstrong would have done well to have a raven-haired alter ego like Miss Viola Swamp, with scary make-up and even scarier temperament.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats: As a kid growing up in Atlanta, where the snowy days are few and far between, it was a real treat reading about the travails of little Peter in the beautifully snow-covered city.

Also, I’ve found some great adult books that celebrate the works of some of the great authors of children’s literature:

The Art of Maurice Sendak by Selma G. Lanes: This book is a smorgasbord for Sendak fans that features essays on his life, his career and his body of work as an illustrator and author. My favorite things about this book so far are the pages (three foldout pages!) of his brilliant artwork and a facsimile of “Where The Wild Horses Are“, the prototype of what would become the aforementioned Sendak masterpiece.

The Art of Eric Carle: This incredible book reflects upon the life and the art of legendary (and one of my favorite) children’s author Eric Carle. Much like Carle’s stunning book illustrations and artwork, this book is multi-textured and very colorful, an insightful collage of autobiography, essays and tributes from his peers and admirers.

Do you remember your favorite books from childhood? What are the qualities that make these books truly special?

The thought of it sounds delightful but the cost brings me down–quickly. The library has the perfect solution for a night of family fun: dinner and a movie.  Several libraries offer recent blockbuster films.  All you have to bring is the family and a blanket and/or lawn chairs to sit on and of course, dinner.  You can even wear your pajamas . The kids will eat it up. And you won’t have to shell out for tickets and popcorn. (Although you can bring your own if you like!)

Upcoming movies include Bedtime Stories at the Chamblee Library on Tuesday, October 13 from 5-7PM.   Covington offers Teen Movie Day on Monday, October 12 from 1PM-3PM and Family Movie Night on Monday October 19 from 6PM-7:30PM.  Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa will be playing at the Wesley Chapel-WCB Library also on Monday, October 19 from 6PM-8PM.  The Gresham Library will show the holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Tuesday November 24 from 6PM-6:30PM.  Check the online calendar for additional film screenings and more details.

Odd-numbered years bring us off-year elections for mayors, city councils and school boards. These local races address issues closer to a citizen’s daily life than a presidential election (no matter how historic), yet it can be harder to find information about the people running for office. Below is a list of candidates in contested DeKalb County 2009 elections. Candidates with websites are linked.  Biographical information on incumbents can often be found on the respective government website and I’ve linked to those where available. The League of Women Voters Georgia Voters Guide is a great resource for local elections. Sample ballots are at the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections website. As always, every vote counts – but maybe even more so in an off-year election.

State Representative in the Georgia General Assembly – District 58

Simone Bell

Asha F. Jackson This is a link to Ms. Jackson’s profile on her law firm’s website.

Kevin Johnson

J. Lewis, IV

Michael McPherson

Read the rest of this entry »

“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books.’’

So says James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing Academy, a prep school located west of Boston with a student population of about 420. It is a radical statement, and one which is being followed to what some would consider a radical conclusion: the gradual transition from a 20,000 volume collection to a mostly bookless, digital library. Despite the small size of the school, the announcement has made waves throughout the library world ever since being reported on by The Boston Globe on September 4. Much of the reaction has been negative. Jessamyn West of Librarian.net writes that she is “skeptical”” of the idea. Commenting on the school’s decision to spend $10,000 to purchase 18 Kindle Readers to replace the library’s collection of books, Keith Michael Fiels, executive director of the American Library Association, worried that “unless every student has a Kindle and an unlimited budget, I don’t see how that need is going to be met.’’ Author Nicholas Basbanes had very little positive to say in an article for finebooksmagazine.com entitled Philistines at the Gate, wherein he suggested that college admission officers might look askance at an application from a student at a school “that does not require its students to read books at all”.

Criticism of the plan is not limited to those outside of Cushing. Liz Vezina, Director of the Fisher-Watkins Library and librarian at Cushing for 17 years, expressed dismay. “I’m going to miss them…there’s something lost when they’re virtual…the smell, the feel, the physicality of a book is something really special.’’

Read the rest of this entry »

The big S you see on DCPL programming is for Seniors.  Yes, the library has programs geared towards senior patrons (though you don’t have to be a senior to attend).

We offer everything from Healthy Living programs to Senior Movie Times. Here is a sampling:

• come test your knowledge of trivia at the Chamblee Library
• come knit with us, on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month, except for holidays
• come discuss a book, we have book discussion groups at many different branches
• want to learn about what classes the Georgia Perimeter College has to offer?  Denise Rixter gives you the details
• learn how to use the computer
• map out your ancestry in one of our genealogy workshops, every third Thursday of the month, except for holidays.

Here is a list of all our senior programs.

I’d only been browsing the Internet in search of news, blog ideas and the latest Web sensation when I stumbled upon a book trailer for The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom. Not only am I really interested in reading this book now but I’m also intrigued by the idea of the book trailer.

While this strikes me as novel (and strikes my bookish brother, who’s reading this over my shoulder, as slightly blasphemous), book trailers have been growing in popularity for a few years now.  There are some great websites such as bookscreening.com and cosproductions.com that feature teaser trailers for books of most genres.  There is even information online about creating your own book trailers. Whether you’re trying to whet the appetite of a finicky teenage reader or browsing the Web for your own next great read, book trailers just seem like an innovative and creative way to spread the word about good books.

The streets of Louisville, KY were inundated with a record 6.5 inches of water Tuesday morning after a massive storm rolled through the town, resulting in the flooding of numerous residences and businesses, including the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.

According to library director Craig Buthod, up to 4 feet of water poured into the basement of the Main Library, damaging at least 10,000 books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs (the average cost per item was conservatively estimated at $20 apiece). Three Bookmobiles parked at the library were damaged by flooding, and water pressure blew out some basement windows. Additionally, conference and meeting rooms and offices in the basement and their furnishings were damaged, and all the library’s boilers, air-conditioning controls, chillers and air-handling equipment were waterlogged. Furthermore, all the computers at all the branches were rendered inoperative when flooding damaged the central computer unit and wiring in the Main Library’s basement, along with about 40 new computers awaiting delivery to another branch (valued at roughly $50,000).

Recovery from such a catastrophe would be slow and difficult under normal circumstances, but with the economy in recession and budgets being slashed at both the local and state levels, the process is likely to be even more drawn-out and painful than it otherwise would be. But you can help! If you would like to make a donation to the library to assist with the disaster relief, send a check to:

The Library Foundation
301 York Street
Louisville, KY 40203

For those interested in more information, I’ve linked to an article from the Courier-Journal that you can check out. There is a photo gallery available there as well. In addition, I’ve found a few more images online that weren’t included in the Courier-Journal set, and I’ve provided links to those below.

-Amphibious bookmobiles
-“That’s my office back there”
-What a mess

Author and historian Barbara Tuchman once said “Nothing sickens me more than the closed door of a library.” Lets all chip in and get the doors of the main branch of the LFPL opened back up again!

Doesn’t it sound cool and mysterious?  DCPL Unshelved is a precision drill team that pushes library carts.The ten members (from our many different library branches) put on sparkly silver newsboy caps, matching t-shirts, black pants and their dancing shoes.

Performing movements like the Flying Geese and Shooting Star make for a lively performance. The crowd was in awe at the team’s debut for the fourth of July in Decatur’s Pied Piper Parade.  See the YouTube clip below for a video of their performance.

The songs they push to are “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant, “We Will Rock You” by Queen and more upbeat lively numbers.

If you want to see DCPL Unshelved for yourself, the team will be performing as part of the August 15 Dunwoody festivities for the dedication of their newly renovated library, at the end of the morning program, which begins at 10:00. Or check out the Decatur Book Festival. You’ll be glad you did! Who knew library carts could be so versatile?

Now that the drought in Georgia is officially over, residents may have a few questions concerning post-drought water usage. Is there still a schedule for specific days during which we can water our lawns? What about washing our cars outside? Can our kids break out their slip n’ slides yet? Well, do not fret – there are answers to all those questions and your good friends at the DeKalb County Public Library have compiled a short list of resources to help. (The answer to those three questions, by the way, is now yes, but please read on).

• The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division provides a site that includes water usage rules for both drought and non-drought periods. It also features a link to drought studies conducted by The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Coping with Georgia’s drought is the name of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s wonderful page offering gardening and water-saving tips, as well as plenty of links on articles relating to the former drought. The aerial photos of Lake Lanier from October 2007-April 2009 are particularly interesting to see.
• If you are looking tips on water saving products such as high-efficiency shower heads or toilets, Conserve Water Georgia provides a site full of valuable consumer information. There are also handy tips on water conservation for teachers, home owners, and corporations.

And don’t forget:  Leonard Anderson of the DeKalb County Extension Service will give tips on how to conserve water at the Doraville Library on Wednesday, July 29th at 6:30pm.  More info here.