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.

It will be fun, because I said so!

The secret to preparing for the holidays is to have a routine.  I have to feed my holiday spirit with a few simple things in order to enjoy the busiest time of the year.  Unlike a vampire, I do not feed alone in the dark, I insist that my family feed with me.  Despite the protests, I'm sure they LOVE it. Tonight we will watch the Lakeshore Holiday Parade and check out the amazing holiday decorations at the Rahr-West Museum and it will be fun because I SAID SO.  My kids are too old to sit on Santa's lap at the museum but we still go downstairs for treats because it's time to prepare for the holidays and no one says "no" to free cookies.  When we get home, I will start making the cranberry sauce (from real cranberries) that I bring to the family Thanksgiving celebration and I will listen to the soundtrack from Irving Berlin's "Holiday Inn" the entire time.  The best part about that CD and movie, which I also insist we watch every year, is that it covers all of the holidays.

So on to Black Friday preparations.  Make your list, check it twice, look for coupons online and in the newspaper and before you buy ANYTHING big, stop at the Reference Desk and look it up in the Consumer Reports Buying Guide or the magazine.  This magazine will tell you which television you should buy and why.  They rate cars, appliances, electronics, electric razors, cameras, MP3 players, ereaders and the list goes on and on.  Of course, if you are trying to avoid camping outside a store Thanksgiving evening (or earlier!), the crush of the people rushing to get the last hot toy in the store, or simply have a strong aversion to crowds, there is always the option of Cyber Monday.  The library is open from 9am to 8pm on November 28th and we have plenty of computers available.

The last thing I do in preparation to prepare for the holidays is make a list of holiday must-reads and start checking them out or putting holds on them.  When you anticipate that you will be running for the next 30 days or so, you need to take time off to recharge.  I like to listen to John Grisham's Skipping Christmas in my car during the month of December.  I would never skip Christmas but the idea is awfully tempting, perhaps a secret fantasy.  I usually set aside my non-fiction reading (unless it is something inspiring like Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) and check out some fiction titles as well as some holiday CDs to keep the spirits up.  (We do need a little variety from Fred and Bing.)  I know that Justin Beiber has a new Christmas CD coming out and maybe that will be a good gift for the tween in my life.  I think this year I'll stick with Mannheim Steamroller, Amy Grant, and some locals like the Garth Nuestader Trio this Christmas.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all from the staff at the Manitowoc Public Library.  We're open until 8pm during the parade.  We'd love to have you to stop by, warm up, and check something out for the holidays.

Shhh...secrets

Have you ever wondered if your house had a secret tunnel at one time? 

 

Or perhaps a famous (or infamous) occupant?

Your home may have a fascinating history, and the process of uncovering your home’s past can be a fun and worthwhile project. House Histories: A guide to tracing the genealogy of your home by Sally Light and How to Research your house: Every home tells a story by Pamela Brooks are great books to help you get started. If you would prefer to watch instead of read, the HGTV series If walls could talk...explores homes rich in history.

This featured photo of a house on Michigan Ave is from the Benke photograph collection, to find more click on this link Images of Manitowoc. 

Epic, Wicked, Classic

What is a classic?  The definition of a classic is threefold.  A classic work of literature has universal appeal, expresses an artistic quality, and stands the test of time.  One of the goals of the selectors of our library is to find the "hottest reads" (Nora Roberts, James Patterson) for the readers in our community.  However, we also work diligently to maintain a collection of books that meet the above criteria of a classic or in Victor Hugo's case, offer our readers an epic tale of poverty, vice, and redemption.  How does this particular book stand the test of time?  After all, isn't it just a love story and a condemnation of France's legal system of the time?  Response:  haven't you heard the phrase "class warfare" used in the news and by various politicians recently?

Moving on from the French, Charles Dickens' books about poverty and the social injustice in England also stand the test of time.  Most of us have read David Copperfield for a school assignment or watched A Christmas Carol during the month of December.  Have you tried Oliver Twist, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, or Great Expectations?  If you can't stomach all the wicked characters that live in Dickens' books, consider another English author like Thomas Hardy. His book, Far From the Madding Crowd has similar themes to Dickens' but uses a pastoral setting.  If you like love stories to end happily, any Jane Austen title will do.  Austen has a special gift for blending social commentary in with an old-fashioned romance. 
American classics cannot be forgotten.  The Awakening by Kate Chopin is every bit as relevant (and depressing) as any Thomas Hardy novel.  Edgar Allan Poe is known for his stories of horror and suspense but his tales go far beyond a mere mystery.  Finally, what early American author captures the spirit of adventure better that James Fennimore Cooper?  He is best known for The Last of the Mohicans but did you know that it's part of a series of five books about early American frontier life featuring Natty Bumppo?  Or is it Hawkeye?  La Longue Carabine?  Pathfinder?  Deerslayer?  Finally, if you're a true Wisconsinite and you enjoy stories about early America, you will be eager to revisit August William Derleth. 

So put the brain candy aside for now, and pick up some meat and potatoes.  Enjoy a classic today!

 

American Pickers

Do you know these guys?  If you don't, well, you should get to know them. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz became famous when their lives as pickers were turned into a highly rated television show on the History Channel.  A new book now recounts their story and teaches the reader how to become a picker.  American Pickers Guide to Picking was written by Libby Callaway with input from Mike, Frank, Danielle and a number of other experts and pickers.  Libby's mother dealt in antiques and Libby met a lot of pickers that her mother bought items from.  She was surprised when she met Mike Wolfe for the first time in December of 2008 because he was so different from the people her mother dealt with.  Mike was young, handsome, and charming. Libby and Mike met when they were both visiting a mutual friend, a photographer. 

Mike got bored during a photo shoot of women in lingerie and asked to borrow a scooter.  He was back in 30 minutes with an enamel Oliver Tractor sign from the 1940's that he was able to sell within minutes, more than doubling his money.  Libby was stunned.  She had never heard of someone driving around and finding likely sellers of antiques and collectibles.  She couldn’t imagine herself knocking on doors but greatly admired someone who could. 

Interesting tidbits related in the book include Mike’s strategy of looking at ads in old magazines.  A few years ago, he saw an ad for a 1912 Indian racing motorcycle.  Even though the journal was from the 1970’s, he called and found out that the motorcycle had never been sold.  He immediately got on a plane and flew to Florida to try and make a deal.  The owner was very reluctant to sell, but Mike used his winning personality to eventually make a deal. 

George, who Mike and Frank turn to when they need an expert opinion, offers this advice: “You can’t just go out picking if you don’t know anything.  You should have either a very specialized knowledge or a very broad knowledge,  You have to know a lot about a little or a little about a lot.”  Mike and Frank obviously know a little about a lot and a lot about a little.  Read this book and you’ll know a little bit more yourself.

Don't have cable?  You can watch the first season of American Pickers by checking out this DVD from the Library.