DPL News & Views

The Library Will Be Closed November 11th

2009-11-10T12:35:00.002-05:00

The Library Will Be Closed Wednesday, November 11th, in honor of Veterans Day.

Acupuncture Lecture at the Library

2009-11-10T11:43:00.004-05:00

Join us on Tues., Nov. 17, 2009 at 7:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for a lecture on Acupuncture in the United States with Alice Meattey. The lecture will cover a brief general history of acupuncture and the history, in particular, in the United States and in New Hampshire. She will explain various theories of how acupuncture works and will demonstrate the actual needling process. A sharp question and answer will follow!

Alice Meattey is an acupuncturist, nationally certified and licensed in both New Hampshire and Maine. She is a graduate of The City College of New York and a 1991 graduate of the New England School of Acupuncture in Newton, Massachusetts. Alice was the chairperson of a group that worked to license acupuncturists in New Hampshire, and she has been a member of the New Hampshire Board of Acupuncture Licensing since 1997. She lives in Dover with her long-haired dachshund, Rudy.

Attention Dog-Lovers

2009-11-09T15:44:00.004-05:00

Three really enjoyable books have come out lately that are sure to appeal to dog lovers. Dean Koontz has written about his beloved Trixie, a Golden Retriever who retired from being an service dog and became the light of his life. Trixie's antics in Big Little Life: a memoir of a joyful dog are sure to win you over.

Fans of James Herriot may enjoy Bruce Coston's Ask the Animals. The book covers his years at veterinary school and cases from his practices in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The story of dogs, cats, and their owners are amusing and touching.

Dogtown, a no kill shelter in Utah famous enough to have its own popular television show on the National Geographic channel, now also has a book written about it. Dogtown: tales of rescue, rehabilitation and redemption by Stefan Bechtel highlights some of the desperate, touching cases that have come through their doors. Victims of pet hoarders, war, Katrina, and cruelty all find a loving home at Dogtown. Knightly, the grieving Weimaraner who lost his home and his family when his elderly owners couldn't care for him anymore is a story that you won't soon forget.

I enjoyed all three books, but especially Big Little Life. Trixie is a memorable character, and the depth of the love she and Dean shared is evident in every word. He also captures the charming goofiness that highlights life in any household that has a Golden Retriever in it. I highly recommend listening to this on CD, Dean Koontz narrates which adds an extra dimension.

HELP US PACK!

2009-11-09T09:45:00.001-05:00

We need to clear the Children's Room for new carpeting.

BORROW AS MUCH CHILDREN'S MATERIAL AS YOU LIKE BETWEEN NOW AND THANKSGIVING AND IT WON'T BE DUE FOR A MONTH!

BONUS: no fines on children's materials that become overdue in December.

Rob Pattinson on a Stick

2009-11-06T15:17:00.003-05:00

It was late Tuesday night and we were busy closing the Library when I noticed a man lurking in the Teen Loft. It gave me quite a turn because I didn't think anyone was in the mezzanine. When I looked more closely I realized it was Rob Pattinson's sweet face staring back at me, not moving. For those of you without teenage girls in the family, and untouched by the Twilight novels hysteria, I will explain that Rob Pattinson is the actor who plays Edward Cullen in Twilight.

The next day I asked our Teen Librarian about it and she explained one of the teen magazines had published a Rob Pattinson poster and suggested using it for a Halloween mask. She craftily put Rob on a stick and placed him in a book in the Teen Loft. Since then he has mysteriously been moving all around the Teen Loft. She never knows where she will find him next.

Best Books of 2009

2009-11-05T10:20:00.002-05:00

We haven't even finished 2009, and already the best books lists are coming out. Publishers Weekly and Amazon have both released their lists. There is only one book they chose in common, Stitches by David Small. The Library will not be releasing our Librarians' Choice list until January so you will have to wait for that one! What do you think of their choices?

Looking for Some Good Historical Fiction?

2009-11-04T10:39:00.004-05:00

Look no farther than Grace Hammer: A Novel of the Victorian Underworld by Sara Stockbridge. I swept away by the story of Grace, a skillful thief, who is supporting her four young children quite nicely by thieving in the Whitechapel area of London. This novel has frequently been compared to Charles Dickens' books. There are similarities; a large cast of quirky characters with unusual names, and the squalor of London is vivid. "She is a sly piece of work, Mrs. Mirabel Trotter, like a great flabby toad lurking under a dank rock, staring out from the gloom at her dinner."

Grace's easy life is threatened by the hulking, violent Mr. Blunt, from whom she had stolen a large ruby necklace at the beginning of her career. Will she be betrayed or saved by her vast circle of friends and acquaintances amongst the prostitutes, thieves, fences, and drunkards that inhabit the squalor of London in 1888. The many twists and turns through atmospheric 19th century England make it a very interesting journey to find the answer.

WE'RE MOVING....

2009-11-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

...furniture, books, computers!

The library is getting new carpeting beginning mid-November and we need you to help us clear out.

This project may possibly last through mid-December and will inevitably cause some interruptions to our services and some inconvenience to you when some sections of the library are closed. Therefore we will be extending our borrowing periods for various materials in the library as they become inaccessible: we want you to hold on to them as long as possible so we don't have to pack and move them. So that you won't incur fines during the disruptions we will also charge no fines for items from the adult collections from November 16 -28, and no fines for items from the children's section for the month of December. While the Children's Room is being carpeted it will be closed for a few days.

Do You Dare?

2009-10-30T12:47:00.005-04:00

Halloween has come early to the Library....

Remembering Wax Candy

2009-10-30T10:33:00.000-04:00

Another candy themed post in honor of Halloween, from Bill Bryson's memorable and amusing "Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid". Bill reminisces about the candies he loved as a child in the 1950s.

"Perhaps nothing says more about the modest range of pleasures of the age than that the most popular candies of my childhood were made of wax. You could choose among wax teeth, wax pop bottles, wax barrels, and wax skulls, each filled with a small amount of colored liquid that tasted very much like a small dose of cough syrup. You swallowed this with interest if not exactly gratification then chewed the wax for the next ten or eleven hours. Now you might think there is something wrong with your concept of pleasure when you find yourself paying real money to chew colorless wax, and you would be right of course. But we did it and enjoyed it because we knew no better. and there was, it must be said, something good, something healthily restrained, about eating a product that had neither flavor or nutritive value."

Story Time @ DPL

2009-10-30T09:29:00.031-04:00

Registration for their next session of story times for Dover children will begin on Monday, November 2.
Registration will be divided into two parts:

For 3-6 year-olds there are three different times to choose from:
Monday afternoon 1:30—2:15
Monday night 7:00—7:45
Tuesday morning 9:30—10:15

*Sign-up for the 3-6 year-olds begins at 9:00a.m. in the Children’s Room.
Phone call registration begins at 9:15a.m.
This 45-minute program (attended by the children only) includes stories, finger plays, songs and puppets. A theme related craft or film is also offered during each session.

For 2-year-olds (Toddlers) there are 3 different times to choose from:
Wednesday morning 9:30—10:30
Thursday morning 9:30—10:30
Friday morning 9:30—10:30

*Sign-up begins at 6:00p.m. in the Children’s Room for the toddler groups.
Phone call registration begins at 6:15p.m.
Toddler programs (attended by the children along with their parent or care-giver) include stories, finger plays and songs selected for a two-year-old’s developmental level.

Story times will begin the week of November 9 and continue for 5 weeks.

David Sedaris on Halloween

2009-10-29T09:09:00.003-04:00

Remember when you went trick or treating? The joy of dumping out a full bag of candy, sorting it into piles of favorite candies (Snickers, peanut butter cups) and undesirable candies to be swapped with siblings or friends (peppermint patties, lollipops). David Sedaris remembers, and he is at his hilarious best in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Enjoy a brief excerpt below:

I knew that it was just a matter of time before she came into my room and started collecting the candy herself, grabbing indiscriminately, with no regard to my rating system. Had I been thinking straight, I would have hidden the most valuable items in my dresser drawer, but instead, panicked by the thought of her hand on my doorknob, I tore off the wrappers and began cramming the candy bars into my mouth, desperately, like someone in a contest. Most were miniature, which made them easier to accommodate, but still there was only so much room, and it was hard to chew and fit more in at the same time. The headache began immediately, and I chalked it up to tension.

My mother told the Tomkeys she needed to check on something, and then she opened the door and stuck her head inside my room. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered, but my mouth was too full to answer. "I'll just be a moment," she called, and as she closed the door behind her and moved toward my bed, I began breaking the wax lips and candy necklaces pulled from pile no. 2. These were the second-best things I had received, and while it hurt to destroy them, it would have hurt even more to give them away. I had just started to mutilate a miniature box of Red Hots when my mother pried them from my hands, accidentally finishing the job for me. BB-size pellets clattered onto the floor, and as I followed them with my eyes, she snatched up a roll of Necco wafers.

Rainy Day at the Library

2009-10-28T14:43:00.001-04:00

The weather outside is frightful and inside the library is rather frightful too....

Listen To This!

2009-10-28T09:32:00.001-04:00

The Library received a large shipment of books on CD this week so there are good pickings for audiobook fans. Here is a brief sampling of what has arrived:
True Blue by David Baldacci
You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

More arrive every day so keep checking the shelves!

Chaos at the Library!

2009-10-27T11:28:00.003-04:00

The library is getting 15,000 square feet of new carpeting---yes that is a lot of carpeting! This project will begin Thursday, November 12th and continue until the installers are done. They will begin on the top floor--lecture hall, trustees room, historical room, etc. and work their way down. A project of this magnitude will obviously bring chaos, confusion, and mayhem. We ask that you bear with us during this time, while we try to move books, bookcases, etc. while still offering quality library services. I think we may all need a sense of humor during these couple of weeks so if you know of any good jokes let us know.

Booksale Starts This Saturday

2009-10-26T12:29:00.005-04:00

Hoards of workers have been busily preparing this morning for the Friends of the Library's annual booksale which starts this Saturday for cardholders. Box after box of books has been carted up to the lecture hall and they have not finished yet. More information on the booksale will be forthcoming this week. Stay tuned!

Flu in Dover

2009-10-23T09:21:00.001-04:00

It is hard to avoid hearing about the H1N1 flu. Radio, TV, and newspaper articles are covering the spread of the disease, detailing who is affected, how many have died, and what states are hit the hardest. For anyone who has not lived through a severe flu epidemic all the fuss seems to be an overreaction. Read the article from our Dover history page to see what life was like in Dover during the 1918 H1N1 flu epidemic.

Learning to Read? Try Talking to a Dog

2009-10-22T13:07:00.003-04:00

Just read a story on CNN's web site titled "Learning to Read? Try Talking to a Dog". I was interested in the article because of the DPL's program with Goldie, a certified therapy dog. If you are unfamiliar with our program please see our blog post from October 16. The article describes the benefits that children can get from reading to therapy dogs:

"The philosophy is simple. Children who are just learning to read often feel judged orintimidated by classmates and adults. But reading to a dog isn't so scary. It won't judge, it won't get impatient, it won't laugh or correct if the child makes a mistake. In a nutshell, dogs are simply excellent listeners. And for shy kids or slow readers, that can make all the difference."

So if you know of any 6-10 year olds who might benefit from reading to a dog,
please give the children's room staff a call at 516-6052

Horror Fest

2009-10-21T15:28:00.003-04:00

Our fearless DVD librarian has ordered up a cauldron of truly creepy horror films for you. Check them out if you dare....

Beautiful Autumn Day

2009-10-21T15:00:00.008-04:00

This is a perfect Autumn day to walk down to the Library under clear blue skies, past trees wearing their festive foliage. You may want choose a stack of books and DVDs for indoor entertainment by the sound of the weekend forecast.Even the squirrels are taking time to visit the Library.

Attention Alex Rider Fans!

2009-10-21T10:02:00.002-04:00

For all of you Alex Rider fans who can't wait for his new book, Crocodile Tears, to come out on November 17th here is a read alike list you might enjoy:

Dragon & Thief (1st book in the Dragonback series) by Timothy Zahn
Epic by Conor Kostick
Evil Genius & Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Fight Game by Kate Wild
H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous-Education by Mark Walden
The Recruit (1st book in the CHERUB series) by Robert Muchamore
SilverFin (1st book in the Young Bond series) by Charles Higson
Sleeper Code & Sleeper Agenda by Tom Sniegoski
Spy High: Mission One (1st in the Spy High series) by A. J. Butcher
Sure Fire & Death Run by Jack Higgins
Thieves Like Us & Thieves Till We Die by Stephen Cole

The Much Maligned Librarian

2009-10-20T08:34:00.004-04:00

I read an interesting article in VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates, October 2009) magazine recently detailing the results of a study of teen reading habits. The article outlined some of the key barriers to reading with the first being Difficulties selecting good reading material. I was saddened by several quotes from teens describing why they would never ask library staff for help selecting a book.

"Actually, that's (asking a librarian for reading advice) never occurred to me! I know there are grown-ups there (in the library) and they put the books out but I've never thought that they've probably read quite a few of them or that they would know what people my age are interested in."

"I wouldn't ask a public librarian for help. I'd rather find it myself or just wander up and down the aisles."

Here at the DPL there are several library staff members that are enthusiastic teen literature readers. None of us can claim to be teenagers (though some of us keep trying), but a few have teenage children of their own, and so they do have an understanding of what is being read. I understand the reluctance to ask, but truly we are friendly and approachable people. If you simply cannot bring yourself to ask, or convince your kids to, there are over 20 suggested reading bookmarks in the Teen Loft, and bright yellow bookmarks in some books marking them as award winners. Lastly, in response to the following quote, that was also in the article, we have rearranged the Teen Loft, and the new look can be seen in the picture above. "Most of the books that I've read I've found on the floor. Someone dropped it there and I picked it up and like the look of it."

FYI, the other two barriers to reading are Insufficient leisure time and Negative school reading experiences.

Librarian's Epitaph

2009-10-19T12:22:00.003-04:00

As we get into the ghost-y and ghoul-y season, we thought you'd enjoy this. Credit to Ruth Lee, Library Assistant, Gary Byker Memorial Library, Hudsonville, MI.

Librarian's Epitaph

No reference question

Could unflap her,

Until she reached

Her Final Chapter.

Goldie Wants You to Read Her a Story

2009-10-16T09:14:00.005-04:00

Goldie, a Certified Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs International, Inc., and her handler, Karen, will continue their very popular “Paws for Reading” program in Children’s Room this fall. Therapy Dogs International, Inc. is a volunteer group organized to provide qualified handlers and their dogs for visits in a variety of settings. Their “Paws for Reading” program is designed to allow kids the chance to read aloud to a non-judgmental canine listener in a stress-free environment. While reading to Goldie, children find themselves relaxing, having fun and improving their reading skills!

Goldie has been visiting the library since the spring of this year. She loves a good story but needs someone (children ages 6-10) to read to her. If interested in helping Goldie hear her beloved stories and in practicing reading aloud, sign up for a 15-minute reading session during one of the times listed below:

Saturday, October 10 (10:30-11:30am)
Tuesday, October 20 (6:30-7:30pm)
Saturday, November 7 (10:30-11:30am)
Tuesday, November 17 (6:30-7:30 pm)
Saturday, December 5 (10:30am-Noon)
Tuesday, December 15 (6:30-7:30 pm)

For more information, or to pre-register your child for a 15-minute time slot with Goldie, please call the Dover Public Library Children’s Room at 516-6052.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-15T10:06:00.022-04:00

There are still plenty of Halloween books and media available for borrowing in the Children's Room. You will find these items on our large bulletin board display shelf along with great party & costume ideas and craft samples (with instructions) for decorating.

For those of you who like to "give yourself a fright", choose one of the books listed below to read on a dark, spooky night or click on this link (http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/LbR8Fbv539vBencz) for a "Happy Halloween" from the Children's Room staff!

Scary Stories
(short stories recommended for grades 4-6)

Give Yourself a Fright: 13 stories of the supernatural
by Joan Aiken

The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns
by Brian Jacques

Curse of the Campfire Weenies and other warped and creepy tales
by David Lubar

A Sliver of Glass and Other Uncommon Tales
by Anne Mazer

Ask the Bones: scary stories from around the world
by Arielle Olson

Tales of Edgar Allan Poe
by Edgar Allan Poe

Short & Shivery: 30 chilling tales
by Robert San Souci

Dare to be Scared: 13 stories to chill and thrill
by Robert San Souci

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
by Alvin Schwartz

Scary States of America
by Michael Teitebaum