Milwaukee - Home of the Brave(s)

I didn't grow up in the 50's or 60's but author Lesley Kagen took me there with Whistling in the Dark.  I didn't grow up in Milwaukee (or even in the Midwest), but I have heard of Samson and now I feel like I've met him.  (Samson is Sally's favorite exhibit at the zoo and she visits him frequently.)  In this book, the author has captured the sights and sounds of a Milwaukee neighborhood and a midwest summer in the city perfectly.  The people you meet in this book seem real.  This is not the Milwaukee of "Happy Days" or "Laverne and Shirley" where everything works out perfectly fine in the end after a heart to heart talk with Mr. Cunningham or "The Fonz".  These people have PROBLEMS and young Sally O'Malley and her sister "Troo" are in the middle of them. 

Samson

Sally made promises to her dying father that she is having trouble keeping.  She promised her dying father that she would look after her little sister.  However, Troo is a wild one and difficult to manage.  There are neighborhood bullies to stand up to, an abusive step-father who has gone on a drinking binge, a mother in the hospital fighting for her life and a teenage sister who is too busy with boys to look after two little girls properly.  As if this wasn't difficult enough, there is a murdering molester on the prowl and Sally's over-active imagination has thrown her (and the reader) completely off the trail of the real killer.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the relationship between Sally and her little sister.  At times, Troo's shocking behavior may lead you to believe that she is the older sister.  The authenticity of the lost little girls (and Sally's point of view) as they struggle to take care of themselves one long hot summer will immerse you in the story.  Similar to Emma Donoghue's Room, this book pulls you into the mind of a child trying to deal with life's unusual situations.  The interactions between the sisters takes me to Lorna Landvik's book, Patty Jane's House of Curl.  Most of all, I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Good Graces.  Perfect reading as we wait for summer and a visit to the City of Festivals.



The United States 1940 census has been made public!

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released the United States 1940 census on April 2, 2012. They will provide free access to the 1940 census digital images. There is no name index for the 1940 census (yet), so you will have to look through the scanned images.

How do you know on which census image your family will be located? 

You might think knowing the address will be enough, but the 1940 census records are not organized by address. They are organized by enumeration district numbers (ED). Knowing the ED number will make your census search faster and less frustrating.

What is a ED number? 

 a ED number on a
enumeration district map

An ED number consists of two parts.

The first part is a region (usually a county) within each state and the second part is a district within that region. Once you have the ED number, you will be able to access the census pages. The ED number will get you to the image of the first census page for that enumeration district. You will need to go through the other images within that particular district to look for your family. 


The Unified 1940 Census ED Finder is one way to search for an ED number. Simply enter state, county, and city. (If you do not know the city or your family did not live in a city, just leave that part blank.) Then click Get 1940 ED number. Under the heading 1940 ED numbers corresponding to your location a list of ED numbers will appear. Then click on more details. Another window will load and on that screen there will be a list that looks like this:

Year	Series	Roll	State	County	ED	Description	Details
1940	T627	4494	WI	Manitowoc (36)	36-1	CATO TOWN OUTSIDE VALDERS VILLAGE, CATO, CLARKS MILLS, GRIMMS, WHITELAW	view	1930
1940	T627	4494	WI	Manitowoc (36)	36-2	CENTERVILLE TOWN, CLEVELAND, HIKA	view	1930

Click on the roll number. The census image should load on a separate screen.  Happy Hunting!!

Readers' Advisory for Everyone

My all-time favorite is a classic

Do you have a favorite book or author?  Remember how you felt the first time you read something by them and how desperately you wanted to share that reading experience with someone else?  Do you understand how it feels when your your pile of "must-reads" dwindles to NOTHING????

You might say something like this:
"I need a book.  My favorite author isn't coming out with their next book for three months and I'm out of books to read.  I'm DESPERATE.  Help me.  I want something just like......"

The librarian at the reference desk can help you through your reading drought.  Like all reference transactions, it will start with questions in order to determine where YOU want to go.  Do you like mysteries?  Romance?  Suspense?  Do you prefer a particular type of setting like the midwest?  What is the title of the last book you read?  What kinds of books do you dislike?  This is called readers' advisory and anyone at the reference desk should be able to help you.  You might also refer to this as a read-alike.

If you like Nora Roberts, you might want to try-

LaVyrle Spencer

Jennifer Blake

Sandra Brown

Elizabeth Lowell

Phyllis Whitney

Julie Garwood

If you like John Grisham, give these authors a try-

Scott Turow

Richard North Patterson

Steve Martini

William Bernhardt

Lisa Scottoline

If you just love that Nicholas Sparks, try-

Richard Paul Evans

Kristin Hannah

Lorna Landvik

Nicholas Evans

Annie Garrett





If you can't get enough of Janet Evanovich's quirky Stephanie Plum, here are some other authors with fun characters-

Carl Hiassen

Sharon McCrumb

Jan Burke

Jennifer Crusie/Bob Mayer

Stephanie Bond

Reader's advisory is a service we offer to anyone in need of a good read.  Recently people have been looking for anything similar to The Hunger Games.  There are several similar books that we can help you find (or read my previous post about dystopias).  We want to help you find those books that make you stay up until 3am reading.  The advent of eReaders has not diminished interest in reading, it has increased it due to the fact that they make books available 24/7.  One of the most rewarding experiences we share as readers is inviting others into our experiences so that they can get excited about an author or book that we love.  Next time, don't hesitate to stop at the reference desk and ask us, "What good books have YOU read lately?" 

I won't read THAT

Dystopia-a society characterized by human misery, such as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding

They call them books for teens but they're every bit as exciting and engaging as the books on the shelf for adults.  If you (or your teen) are not thrilled with the idea of dueling to the death like in the Hunger Games or if you loved the Hunger Games and want more, check these books out.  "Legend" by Marie Lu is the tale of a society that limits its numbers through war and manufactured "plagues".  Society sanctioned girl prodigy meets boy rebel and together, they will change their world. And then there's "Divergent" by Vernonica Roth which is the first book of a trilogy.  In this society, you are allowed to choose your faction which will determine your path in life.  The catch, if you choose a faction other than the one you were raised in, you forfeit almost all ties with your family.  Fortunately for our heroine, there's a guy to connect with in her new faction.  Ally Condie's "Matched" trilogy starts out as a romantic love triangle in book one and segues into an action/adventure in "Crossed" which is book two.  For a different twist try "Delirium" by Lauren Oliver where society treats emotions (especially love) like a disease and everyone undergoes a procedure to have that portion of their brain REMOVED.  Naturally it doesn't work on everyone and there are rebels who refuse to submit.  For the guys who want more action and adventure, try "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi or "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner.
Feeling old school instead?  "1984" by George Orwell, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, or "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury are all good choices and they're probably available on the shelf. 
Enter the world of one of these books and through the author's dystopia, enter your own utopia as you escape your surroundings.  It's not hard core science fiction.  It's not fairies and druids and wizards and dragons.  It's not warp speed and space jumps and tazers.  Read the definition, it's everyday life, the setting is just a little bit different.

Is it possible to have too many books? Do you still have encyclopedias or old textbooks? Do you have basement and/or attic collections?

There are many things you can do with books that you no longer use. You can donate your books to the library. Last year over 3,000 books, movies, and CDs were donated to the library.

What do we do with donated materials?  A select few do make it into our collection. Many are sold at the book sale and yes, even recycled depending on their condition. Encyclopedias and textbooks are immediately recycled. Textbooks are generally not appropriate for a public library's collection. We strive to provide excellent service with current information. Unfortunately, encyclopedias from previous years are not current enough to use in our collection.

Basement and attic collections generally do not make the cut. Attics leave thirsty looking books and damp basements will give books a certain air. 

Attic collections might have crusty pages with spider bites in them while basement collections grow mold.

There are many fun and decorative things you can do with books you no longer use. Need some ideas? Check out these these books: The repurposed library : 33 craft projects that give old books new life by Lisa Occhipinti,  Altered books workshop : 18 creative techniques for self-expression by Bev Brazelton, and Alter this! : radical ideas for transforming books into art by Alena Hennessy.



Vintage book lamp!





 

A bookcase made out of encyclopedias!



sniffle, cough, gasp

January 2012 has not started out very well for your library staff.  Those few of us that are still standing continue to struggle valiantly against the cold and flu season.  It's gotten so bad that patrons are starting to ask whether their favorite book guru/knowledge locater is on vacation or retired.  Never fear, as surely as winter turns into spring (and the SUN APPEARS IN WISCONSIN) we are making our way back.  Until then, a list of titles to help you through the winter blues, blahs and sniffles:

Breaking Free From Depression by Jesse Wright  (Alternative Wisconsin title:  "When the winter gets tough, toughen up, enso?  Go shovel more snow!")

Vitamin D Prescription:  The Healing Power of the Sun and How it Can Save Your Life by Eric Madrid  (Wisconsin title:  "No Sunshine Until Mother's Day...take your vitamins")

Three Week Boot Camp (DVD) by Denise Austin (Wisconsin title:  "Sounds Like a Nice Alternative to Shoveling Snow")

And the winner is....

The Beauty Diet by Lisa Drayer (Wisconsin title:  "All Wisconsin Women Look Like Miss America!")

Let's all strive for a healthier 2012 and don't forget the hand sanitizer!

Notes from the reference desk

DECEMBER AT THE LIBRARY:

Where are your Christmas CDs?
Where are your Christmas DVDs?
Where are the books on Christmas crafts?
Where do you keep your Christmas fiction?
Why is your internet service so slow?
I need a book about holiday stress.
Why don't you have all the tax forms for 2011 yet?
I live out of town, how long is Santa going to be there?????
Why  is there glitter all over the Children's Department?
Can you register, set up, and download everything I need onto my Kindle, Nook, or (other) ereader?
Can you email Santa for me?
I really need a Hanukkah cookbook.
Are you open today? 
Why do I have to go on a waiting list for an electronic copy of the book that I want?
Can you order this from Amazon for me?
I'm too busy to come in.  Do you have a delivery service?
Can I get more than 2 hours on the computers?
I need a book about Kwanzaa.
I need a really short biography for an assignment due tomorrow!


JANUARY AT THE LIBRARY:

Where are your exercise books?
Where are your diet books?
Do you have a book about hoarding?
I need a book that has lots of indoor activities for small children.
Where do you keep your books on starting a small business?
When are you going to have more computer classes?
I need the books that help you study for your ACT or SAT tests.
Do you have a book that will show me how to get along better with my in-laws?
Why isn't my Kindle, Nook, ereader working????
Do you have that exercise DVD for Zumba?
Why don't you carry video games here?
I still can't find the tax form I need.
Can you fill out my rental agreement for me?
Do you have the magazine, Cooking Light?
I really need a phone number so that I can return this gift.  Can you find the number for PajamaGram?

And the list goes on...

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Manitowoc Public Library.  Keep calling, emailing, and stopping by, we're here to make your days a little brighter.