Librarian Mary

Fairies Do Exist

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 20:51:00 +0000

Have you ever seen the movie "FairyTale: A True Story"? It's based on the story of the Cottingley Fairies. In 1917, 2 young girls took 5 photos of what they claimed to be fairies in the woods near their home, and it captured the imagination of England. It's a charming movie, and it begs the question: do fairies exist?

Today I want to talk about library fines. If you are wondering what library fines have to do with the existence of fairies, I'll get to that.

If you frequent a library, you are almost certain to have had a fine at one time or another. Most libraries charge a nominal fee, mostly as an incentive for the patron to return their items in a timely fashion. This is the fine structure at the Superior Public Library:

DVDs-50 cents/day, maximum of $5.00 per item.
E-readers-$5.00/day, maximum of $30.00
Everything else, 20 cents/day, maximum of $4.00 per item

Have you ever wondered what those nominal fees add up to? The Superior Public Library makes about $20,000 of our annual budget from the collection of fines. Wow! Those small amounts really add up, and they are very important to our bottom line. Imagine $20,000 less out of the book budget. At around $25 per, that's 800 books. You can use this nifty library services calculator to discover what the library is worth to you in real dollars and cents.

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator

Now, what happens if the dog ate your book, or you ran over the DVD with your truck? (both have happened!). You would be charged for the item so that we can replace it. Anytime a fine is more than $5.00, library privileges are suspended until the fees are taken care of. This way a person wouldn't continue to build fines upon fines, getting out of hand and making it more difficult to pay off.

Usually when a patron has a library fine they gladly pay it, realizing how much it would cost them to buy the DVD or book or CD that they have recently enjoyed. For most people these nominal fees are not a problem. But there are those in our community that are stressed financially, for whom any extra expense is a burden. Oftentimes the people who are most affected are the ones for whom the library is a valueable resource. They rely on the library not just for entertainment but also for internet service, to apply for a job or pay their taxes. Perhaps they have young children and are part of the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program. Or maybe they're studying for their GED, or trying to put together a resume. If their privileges are suspended it's a real burden.

The library has a solution, and you can be part of it, but only if you believe in the existence of fairies. Do you? Because if you do, you can be a Fine Fairy. What does this mean? It's very simple. Your donation, large or small, to the Fine Fairy program makes it possible for those less fortunate in our community to pay off their fines to help restore library privileges to children, vulnerable adults, and other patrons in our community. You can make a donation at the front desk specifically for the Fine Fairy, or if you are paying off your own fine, perhaps you could round it up to the next dollar. Just let us know. We won't divulge the names of those who contribute or of those who receive.

So put on your metaphorical wings. Wave your wand. Make magic happen for a fellow library patron. We believe in you, and we thank you.

4th Annual Holiday Cookbook Extravaganza! What's new?

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:40:00 +0000

With all the warm weather we've been having it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week! I usually title this annual post the Thanksgiving Cookbook Extravanganza!, but really this whole season offers ample opportunities for pulling out the cookbooks so I decided to broaden the scope and change it to Holiday Cookbook Extravaganza!

So the focus this year is on new cookbooks. There are just so many great new cookbooks coming out that I wanted to review a few of them for you. I am the type of person that actually reads cookbooks, for entertainment as well as edification. I have learned so much about cooking from reading recipes without actually making a particular recipe. I find that many of the newer cookbooks focus more on vegetables and grains, with smaller helpings of a lovely protein, which is more in line with my way of eating now days. So let's get to it!

Small Victories by Julia Turshen

I just checked this one out and I am love, love, loving it! Ina Garten wrote the forward, if that tells you anything about the book. The recipes are straightforward (not a lot of piddly steps), flexible (options given for whatever ingredients you may have on hand), and beautifully photographed. Most of the recipes also focus on learning a new technique or a way to make something easier. I'm not a from scratch baker, but I did make the Afternoon Cake (no creaming butter with sugar! Yay!) with stunning results. I'm asking for this one for Christmas.

Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten

I really like Ina Garten's cooking aesthetic. Lots of flavor, fresh ingredients, beautifully and simply prepared. She's really all about pulling the best flavor out of the ingredients-so many time I have tried a recipe only to be disappointed by the amount of flavor I am getting, whether it's garlic or lemon or whatever. If Ina makes a recipe called roasted potatoes with lemon, you can be sure you will taste the lemon! And her husband Jeffrey is just adorable. There's a menu section called Jeffrey's all-time favorite dinners, and Jeffrey appears to like some really tasty dishes. How great is that?

Scratch by Maria Rodale

You won't find any long lists of ingredients here. Many of the recipes have only 4 or 5 ingredients. For example, crispy roast chicken with gravy: 1 chicken. Also water, flour, salt and pepper. That's it. The snack time chapter is especially inviting-3 ingredient guacamole, fried chickpeas, roasted pumpkin seeds. These are simple, new and old classics that are not difficult or intimidating. Beautiful photos, too.

The Vegetable Butcher by Cara Mangini

In my quest to eat more vegetables I turn to this book. I like that the chapters are arranged alphabetically by vegetable (I am a librarian). Each chapter starts off with a description of different varieties of a particular vegetable. It covers how to choose the best veggies, when they are in season, what flavors will complement. Then it moves on to how to clean, prep, and store your veggies, with photos to guide you, and a couple of different ways to cook your chosen veg. Each chapter finishes up with 2 or 3 recipes to get you started. Not all the recipes are savory. There is one for a parsnip-ginger cake with burnt buttercream frosting which I am anxious to try. I'm sure it involves creaming butter with sugar but I'm willing to five it a whirl with my hand mixer.

My final review is really for a class of cookbook, those focusing on Nordic cuisine. These books are just what you would expect from Scandinavia-uniformly spare, clean, lovely photos not just of food but of the countryside. Happy people eating healthy, beautiful food while sitting around in their IKEA kitchens using their littala dishes and their Maimekko linens on their annual month off of work. I suppose there are recipes too.

These seven new books are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out our HUGE selection of cookbooks at the library. Happy Holidays and bon apetit!

On the Road with Rand McNally

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:28:00 +0000

Just got home from Road Trip 3: the South. We drove down Interstate 35 to the Texas Coast, and back up through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and then North to home. We basically made a big circle, and Rand McNally came with us.

We have so many ways to plot our routes. Many people let Google Maps plan their journey. And I admit, Google Maps is really helpful for getting from Point A to Point B. But if the point of your journey is the journey itself, you can't go wrong with a good old fashioned road map.

I have always had a fascination with maps. My dad had a pre-World War II atlas that I liked to look at. My older brothers had added pictures, like planes on bombing runs or boats in the ocean. It was colorful and exotic. Later on, I had a great fascination with Australia (thank you, Australians series by William Stuart Long and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough) and I would immerse myself in the unusual names-Canowindra, Parramatta, Wollongong.

As a small child my family took a few camping trips-the Black Hills, Glacier National Park, the Badlands. But with 5 kids in 1 car, the prospect of a longer trip was probably unappealing to my parents.

My sister moved across the country to California when I was 12. By this time only my brother and I remained at home, and the idea of a longer car trip was not so daunting. I remember my dad pulling out the Rand McNally map in the evenings, plotting our route. He planned it so we could drive through some of the most scenic country. He and my 16 year old brother took turns driving during the day, and we would stop in some small town by 4:00 to look for a place for the night. We would drive through town, looking at likely mom-and-pop motels (never a hotel). Mom and Dad would get out of the car to inquire within, and pretty soon we would see them come out with the proprietor, key in hand, to check out the room. If it didn't meet with Mom's standards, on to the next one. This could eat up an hour of the day.

But back to Rand McNally. The map came with us on the road then, and it still comes with me now. I love the fact that with a road map I can see the whole of a state spread out before me. And Rand McNally does an awesome job of showing anything and everything along the route. If it weren't for Rand McNally, how would I have found Music Man Square in Mason City, Iowa? Or the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Oklahoma? Or the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, Alabama?

Ave Maria Grotto

Tallgrass Prairie

Don't get me wrong. I do use technology. Not only do I have my road map spread out on the car floor at my feet, but I also have my phone in hand and the GPS screen open on the dash. And I guess the technology has taken some of the romance out of the road trip. I could choose to stop at any promising looking motel/hotel, or to walk into a random restaurant, but at the end of the day I like knowing that my accomodations are clean and comfortable and that I will have a good meal. So I guess it's a trade-off, romance for familiarity and comfort. Like so many things.

We're planning our next road trip for the Spring-California. It's never to early to pull out the map and start plotting! Planning your own road trip? Love maps? Check out the display in the library. Happy trails!

Librarian Mary Will Now Take Your Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Wed, 18 May 2016 18:14:00 +0000

As you can probably imagine, Librarian Mary gets asked lots of questions at the library. That's great, librarians love to answer questions! It is our raison d'etre, besides our love of books and orderliness. Today I thought we could address a few of the most common ones.

"Librarian Mary, I have some family photos that I would like to scan to my computer. Can you help me with this?"

Yes! The library now has a scanner. There's no charge to scan any number of documents to your external storage. If you need a thumb drive to scan your documents to, Librarian Mary has one that you may borrow until you upload your scans to the computer. Just ask at the Circulation Desk.

"Librarian Mary, I have an important legal document that I need to have notarized. Can you do that for me?"

Librarian Mary does not provide notary services. The City Clerk's office at the Court House (1316 N 14th St, Suite #200) provides a notary service free of charge. You could also ask at your bank, as many of them provide this service to their customers.

*

"Librarian Mary, I am working on a cross stitch pattern, but it is so tiny! I have tried a magnifying glass, but it's hard to cross stitch and hold it at the same time. Can you help me?"

Yes! The library has a copier that can enlarge your original pattern. If you have lots of pages, use the document feeder to make life easier. If you need instruction, just ask at the Circulation Desk. Librarian Mary is happy to help. Copies are 15 cents per page.

*

"Librarian Mary, what tax form do you think I need? I have 2 children and I worked 2 jobs, and one was in Minnesota but I live in Wisconsin. And what does it mean here where it says 'Tax Exempt Interest'?"

Unfortunately, Librarian Mary is not allowed, by law, to give you any tax advice-even if I personally know the answer. I can steer you toward books and websites on the subject, but I can't tell you what forms you need or how to fill them out. I can, however, print any tax forms for you at 15 cents a page, but you must know which forms you need.

This really goes for any other advice you may need-medical, gardening, pet questions, how to answer the questions on a job application. Librarian Mary will help you find the resources that you need to answer these types of questions, but I can't personally give you advice.

*

"Librarian Mary, I am a globe trotting traveler and I don't like to lug all these books around on the plane, and if I put them in my luggage I'm over the weight limit! What should I do?"

You need ebooks! Download all your books and magazines to your tablet or phone and lighten your load. All you need is an Overdrive account and an internet connection. Instructions can be found at superiorlibrary.org. If you need more help, set up an appointment with Librarian Kyle at 715-394-8863.

*

"Librarian Mary, I am very busy today. I have a package for my friend who is coming to the library tomorrow afternoon. Can I leave it with you until then? And can I put this personal letter in your out-going mail?"

Sorry, I can't help you with this one. Librarian Mary cannot be responsible for any personal items you leave at the library. Maybe you need a personal assistant? Or some help organizing your day? I can steer you in the direction of resources for this.

*

"Librarian Mary, the computer wants the password to my email. What is it?"

This question is surprisingly common. So many people have their email set up on their phones without need of a password. When they need to log on from a computer, they can't remember what the password is. Sorry, Librarian Mary can't help with this. In fact, Librarian Mary is embarrassed to admit that she also has this problem.

*

"Librarian Mary, school has only been out 2 weeks and my children are already bored. Help!

Our Children's Room can help with this. Storytime, Summer Reading Program, Read to a Dog, free movies, Lego Club Mondays, crafts, games, computers-we have something for all ages and interests. Librarian Kelly, Librarian Nancy, and Librarian Kayleen are ready to help.

This is just a sampling. If you have more questions, or just want to find out what's going on, visit our website at superiorlibrary.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter(@librarysuperior). Or do the old fashioned thing- pick up the phone and give us a call at 715-394-8860. We'll do our best to answer YOUR questions.

Shop Class

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 21:13:00 +0000

"Honey, park on the other side of the garage tonight, please. I'm setting up the Shop early this year." My husband sent me the text message on a warm February afternoon, and I was happy to comply. The garage becoming the Shop is a sure sign of Spring.

I really enjoy the Shop. The garage door open, the smell of sawdust, the sounds of the tools, the sight of a new project taking shape, a handsome man working. I will often take my cup of coffee out there and just sit and watch and soak in the atmosphere. Sometimes I might help out with the circular saw or in the finishing process. It's a very Zen place to be, both physically and mentally.

If you are looking for a reason to spend some time in your Shop this Spring, I suggest building a Little Free Library. Never heard of a Little Free Library? The movement started in Wisconsin in 2009, and by 2015 the number of registered Little Free Libraries around the world topped 22,000. You build the house for the books, put it in your yard, fill it with books, and people borrow them, and leave their own. It's a great way to re-purpose, build community, and share a passion for reading and books.

Plans for Little Free Libraries can be found for free online at LittleFreeLibrary.org. But what if you're not so handy and still want to get in on the action? There are lots of ideas for re-purposed Little Free Libraries. Pinterest has a lot of ideas to spark your imagination. How about an old suitcase (best for sheltered areas)? Or an old mini-fridge? Metal bread boxes, mail boxes, tool boxes-basically anything weatherproof will work.

What to put in your library? Fill it with your own books that you no longer read. Some folks choose a theme, like children's books. And you will find that as people take a book they will leave another in it's place. If you need some "seed" for your library, the Superior Public Library always has books for sale in the Friends of the Library corner. And the annual Friends of the Superior Public Library Book Sale is coming up April 29 from 9 am to 7 pm, and April 30 from 10 am to 2 pm. You can pick up more items than your Little Free Library will hold and help the Library out at the same time.

If you need a refresher in Shop class, the library has all the info you need. Check out our display at the back desk. I know it just snowed, but Spring starts officially next week. Really, it does. Enjoy an early project in the Shop, and then watch what happens. If you build it, they will come.

Some locations in Superior: 76th St. and Ogden Ave.
59th St. and Cumming Ave.
57th St. and Ogden Ave.
21st St. and Ogden Ave.

Find more locations in the Twin Ports at LittleFreeLibrary.org

Babs and Chip in: "Blind Date of Doom!"

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 20:26:00 +0000

"Chip, Valentine's Day is next week."

"I know it's Valentine's Day, Babs. In fact, I was just thinking about how we met. Remember, Felicia and Rock set us up on a blind date. Boy, that was one for the books, wasn't it?"

"I'll say. Wow, I haven't thought about that in ages. Felicia invited me up from the Dells to help them decipher some ancient hieroglyphs they had found in a local cave."

"I remember it like it was yesterday. I was living in the Yukon at the time, prospecting for gold...."

Chip swirled his pan of water. The shallow river water swirled around his feet. His eyes scanned the lay of the land, looking for whoever had shot at him from the bushes yesterday. Rumors about his stash of gold were a local legend and there were those in town who would stop at nothing to get it. The horizon was clear. He swirled the water around his pan, and picked out many bright nuggets. At this rate, he would be set for the next 3 years or so of roaming the globe in search of adventures. He packed his gear up, stowed it in the small shed he had built from sod and river rocks, set the booby trap, and started home. Felicia and Rock were throwing a party to celebrate the deciphering of some ancient hieroglyphs they had found in a local cave and they wanted him to meet the woman who had helped to finally break the code.

"Her name is Babs, and I think she's just your type.Felicia met her in a continuing ed course they took in college, How to Keep Multiple Cats Happy in Your One Room Apartment. Extremely intelligent, pretty in a bookish sort of way. She can speak Mandarin Chinese as well as Polish and makes a mean martini. She rode her Honda PCX 150 up here from the Dells."

"Isn't that a scooter?"

"Yes, but it's an awesome piece of machinery."

Rock greeted him as he came into the backyard. It was deserted except for Felicia and another woman.

"Am I early? Where is everybody? I thought you said to be here at 7:00."

"Everybody? Umm, no, I guess it's just the four of us tonight." He glanced at what was in Chip's hands. "Flowers and candy? Really?"

"What? What woman doesn't like flowers and candy?"

"Whatever you say. Come on, I'll introduce you to Babs."

Chip was smitten. She was wearing a black evening gown and and carried a crossbow as an accessory. She was declaiming in some foreign language and seemed to be either reciting poetry or making a speech. She stopped short as they walked up, and stared at Chip.

"Now, now ladies. No more medieval Polish. English, please. Babs, here's the guy I was telling you about. Chip, meet Babs. Babs, Chip."

"Hello", said Chip, handing her the flowers and candy. She looked rather confused. Were these gifts meant for her? Surely they were for the hostess. Who was this tall, dark and handsome stranger?

"Rock and I are heading out to the lecture on ancient Esquimaux written languages. Why don't you two take a canoe ride? There's a great little restaurant about 3 clicks down the river, Salmon Sam's. Just watch out for the class VI rapids, they can be a little dicey this time of year. Have fun!" And with that they made a beeline to their ancient Land Rover.

Babs turned to look up at Chip. "Well, we might as well make the best of it. I'm always up for a little adventure."

"My kind of gal. Let us proceed on."

She gave him a quick look and smiled. "I like Lewis and Clark too."

The first part of the trip was uneventful as they floated down the river. The long Yukon twilight cast dappled shadows and an elk grazed on the shore. Then suddenly shots rang out. The canoe was struck and took on water fast. "They're after my gold!", Chip shouted. "Gold?", shouted Babs. "Yeah, I have enough to keep me going for the next few years."

"You do?!" Babs quickly swung her crossbow around and with true aim, she sent a bolt into the bushes. The sniper was taken care of. But the damage had been done. The canoe was taking water on rapidly and would soon sink. "We have to swim it!" she shouted, and jumped into the rapids. Chip followed suit. They swirled down the river, dodging rocks and getting turned around and disoriented. When they came out the other side, they were holding hands.

"I guess this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", Babs said, and smiled at Chip.

Babs and Chip ended up happily ever after. You too can have a great blind date. Live dangerously and check out a book from our blind date with a book display during the month of February. And be sure to bring that date to the Love Your Local Artist event on Friday Feb. 12 from 5:30-8:00. Meet local artists as you sample wine and refreshments, listen to music, and bid on items in the silent auction.

Let Us Have Music for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:46:00 +0000

It's now roughly 10 days before Christmas, so I feel ready to pull out the Christmas music. This might seem a little late, but Christmas music is something I want to enjoy right through New Year's Day. If I start in listening to it the day after Thanksgiving, I'll be deleting those playlists on Christmas Eve. And I do mean playlists. I currently have 7 Christmas playlists, ranging from Alternative Christmas to Urban Christmas to Traditional Christmas, as well as one labeled Winter Music. Altogether that is 291 Christmas songs. And that's not to mention the 5 albums of Christmas music that I inherited from my parents. I play these on a console stereo that I picked up at an antique store in Duluth. Listening to old albums on an old stereo takes me right back to Christmases in my parents' home-putting the reflectors behind every bulb on the Christmas tree, bringing up the coat hangar from the basement that held the tinsel we reused from year to year (not the flimsy stuff you can by now, this was almost like liquid metal), searching the box of ornaments for my own special one, the large red and white one with the reflective hole in the middle.

Some favorites of the era include the classic version of The Little Drummer Boy by the Harry Simone Choir, Dean Martin's cheeky 'Baby It's Cold Outside, Kay Starr's jazzy ''(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man with the Bag", and 'What Are you Doing New Year's Eve?' by Nancy Wilson. Most of these are actually off of the original 'Christmas Cocktails' CD, which I think is the best of the series.

Music has a special way of taking us back to a certain place and time. Nostalgia is comforting, but I also don't want to get stuck in a Christmas music rut. Every year I look for new sources of Christmas music. This year I found Weezer's 'Christmas with Weezer' ep on Spotify, with some unexpected versions of traditional Christmas tunes. Another newish fave is the 'Holidays Rule' CD, which includes an acoustic guitar rendition of 'Senor Santa' by Y La Bamba. The CD 'Alternative Rock X-Mas' has a rollicking cover of 'Please Daddy, Don't Get drunk this Christmas' performed by the Decemberists. 'Keegan's Christmas' by Marcy Playground is about a boy waiting up for Santa, and '12.23.95' by Jimmy Eat World is a wistful story of a Christmas break-up.

When I'm in a quiet Winter mood as opposed to a Christmas mood it's time for the Winter Music playlist. 'To Drive the Cold Winter Away' by Loreena McKennitt has some nice atmospheric tunes, as does Anne Dudley's 'Ancient and Modern'. 'Nordic Nights' by Ely Minnesota raised violinist Eli Bissonett captures the mood of Winter in the North. This playlist also contains two of my absolute favorite songs by Sting, 'Ghost Story' and 'Gabriel's Message.'

I could literally go on and on. Please share your own favorites-I'm always open to suggestions for more Christmas music. And be sure to stop in the library and browse our collection of holiday music. As a thank you for following our little blog, I share with you the inimitable Patti Page. Happy Holidays!

The 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Cookbook Extravaganza! Vegetable Dilemmas

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 17:25:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that this is the third year of the annual Thanksgiving Cookbook Extravaganza! As I contemplate my menu for the meal, the question always comes into my mind of whether or not to include a vegetables other than some type of potato. No one ever eats them but still I feel there should be a token something on the table. This year I turn to food history to help me decide.

To begin at the beginning, I will investigate the "harvest celebration of 1621", as the first Thanksgiving was called by the inhabitants of Plimoth Plantation. According to Smithsonian.com. the menu would have consisted mainly of poultry, venison, fish and shellfish, nuts, and perhaps corn.. Potatoes, both sweet and white, were not yet known in North America. No cranberry sauce. Wheat for flour was scarce, as was butter (no pumpkin pie). The turkey or other wild fowl would have been stuffed with onions and herbs.

In a letter of 1779, Juliana Smith describes a New England Thanksgiving dinner to her Cousin Betsey, which includes this description of a vegetable: "one which I do not believe you have yet seen. It is called Sellery and you eat it without cooking." The full menu is still pretty meat-centric. I feel the "sellery" is only included as a novelty.

Haunch of Venison Roast Chine of Pork Roast Goose
Roast Turkey Pigeon Pasties Onions in Cream
Cauliflower Squash Potatoes
Raw Celery Mincemeat Pie Pumpkin Pie
Indian Pudding Plum Pudding Apple Pie

So where did our traditional menu come from? Most likely from the Victorians of the 1800's, which is when Sarah Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, made a big push for Thanksgiving. According to Smithsonian.com there was a real nostalgia for the Colonial era at this time. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. The Original Boston Cooking-School Cookbook of 1896 offers this menu:

Oyster Soup Crisp Crackers Celery
Salted Almonds Roast Turkey Cranberry Jelly
Mashed Potatoes Onions in Cream Squash
Chicken Pie Fruit Pudding Sterling Sauce
Fancy Cakes Neapolitan Ice Cream Mince, Apple and Squash
Nuts and Raisins Bonbons Pies
Crackers Cheese

I have to admit that I like the unabashedly celebratory feel of this menu. Oysters, meats and lots of desserts. Also lots of crackers. Celery is still there though.

By 1949 the menu was smaller and more manageable for a housewife without extra help. The Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking suggest this holiday menu:

Roast Turkey Oyster or Chestnut Dressing Giblet Gravy
Mashed Potatoes Buttered Onions Cranberry Sauce
Hot Rolls, Butter Head Lettuce, 1000 Island Dressing
Pumpkin or Apple Pie

More onions still, buttered this time. Who would have thought?

Marthastewart.com offers several Thanksgiving menus, many of which include onions. She suggests Braised Onions, Roasted Pears and Red Onions, or Glazed Pearl Onions.

Of these menus onions are the only vegetable to appear on all three. So, in the interest of being historically accurate, I am going to go with the lowly onion as the side dish this year. I think maybe I'll just throw pearl onions in the pan with the turkey and let them caramelize. Yum.

For help with your own menu dilemmas, stop by the library before you start cooking. Check out the display of holiday cookbooks for menu ideas. We are open until 6:00 pm on Wednesday the 25th.

A very happy remembrance of the Harvest Celebration of 1621 to you all.

Blinded by the Meaning

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:01:00 +0000

This past weekend I was sitting outside on a patio, enjoying the lovely weather and my morning cup of coffee. It was at a hotel in the Twin Cities and they have music piped out there. Generally I ignore the background music, but this playlist was actually pretty good. And then they played it. Manfred Mann's Earth Band's 'Blinded by the Light.' I commented to my husband that I had never liked this song, and we got to discussing it. First off, what are the lyrics? And what can they possibly mean? Some kind of druggy trip? Or a night in a club?

We found out that the song was written by Bruce Springsteen-who knew? When you look up the lyrics, the words don't mean much at all. It's just a song. No deep meaning. Just something to be enjoyed (or not).

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

This year the theme of the library's Halloween trick-or-treat is Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', another piece of art that people are constantly looking for the meaning of. Some claim Lewis Carroll was under the influence of drugs when he wrote it. Or that Carroll had a problem with children. There are all kinds of scholarly papers that may be found online explaining the deep, possibly dark, meaning of Alice and her adventures.

My question is, why? Why are we looking for deep meanings in something that is a charming children's book? And it's not the only children's book to be dissected for some deeper meaning beyond enjoyment. J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' has been put under a microscope. So have the Narnia Chronicles by C,S, Lewis. In fact, right now I am reading a book on how the Great War affected both of these men and their writings. Or take Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials." It is supposedly based on John Milton's "Paradise Lost", but on his website Pullman states that when people ask him the meaning of the story his reply is that "I'm not in the message business. I'm in the 'Once upon a time' business."

My own theory is that as adults we are looking for some more compelling reason why certain stories stick with us from childhood, apart from simple enjoyment. As adults we must leave that childhood sense of wonder and nonsense behind and find a rationale for our likes and dislikes. But why? Why do we need to justify liking this or that story? As well try to explain why you like 'Blinded by the Light' by Manfred Mann, or why you like chocolate, or anything else that defies descriptions and reasons. Retaining that childhood sense of wonder and delight is a beautiful thing. And if adults did not retain it, we wouldn't have an Alice in Wonderland, or Frodo or any other beloved characters of fiction, characters so beloved that we carry them along into adulthood.

Yes, perhaps there are deeper meanings to fairy tales and such. Perhaps they do speak to some deep psychological need in us all. But that is secondary to the simple enjoyment they give. I highly recommend re-reading that beloved childhood tale for your own pure enjoyment. Get reacquainted with your inner child.

I think I'll give Manfred Mann a second listen while I contemplate my Halloween costume.

Take your own trip down the rabbit hole at the Superior Public Library's Halloween Trick-or-Treat! Friday October 30th from 10:00-noon and 2:00-4:00. Bring along a non-perishable food item for the food shelf.

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Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:16:00 +0000

While packing for an upcoming vacation I was reminded of George Carlin's classic routine about stuff. Do you remember it? You can easily find it on YouTube (be forewarned, it's George Carlin so there's some language). It's hilarious and so true. What to bring on the journey and what to leave behind?

The last vacation I took I planned for sunny skies and little rain and packed accordingly. When it rained the WHOLE TIME I ended up wearing the same clothes for 4 days in a row. Why on earth did I worry about packing a different outfit for every day? I am keeping this in mind as I pack my suitcase. Who cares if I wear the same thing for days? I'm never going to see these people again, or even be in the same city for more than 2 days.

Anyone moving into student housing or a first apartment has to figure out what stuff to bring and what stuff to leave, too. Sometimes Mom and Dad give you the stuff they were saving for you, but maybe you don't like that stuff. Or maybe your roommates don't like your stuff. They have their own stuff. Stuff gets to be a problem.

We all know Americans are the largest consumers on the planet. According to internationalbusinessguide.org, the American consumer market is 29% of the world market, followed distantly by Japan with 8.51%. There are 300,000 items in the average American home (LA Times), and 25% of people with a two car garage can't fit two cars inside of it! (US Department of Energy). The average American woman owns 30 outfits (that sounds about right for me, and I got rid of a lot of clothes this summer). In 1930, she owned 9 (Forbes). I found these fun facts on http://www.becomingminimalist.com/clutter-stats/ and I must say I was astounded by some of them. 300,000? Surely not I.

But then I figured all my silverware (2 sets at least), dishes (ditto), pens, cooking utensils, shoes, books (of course!), the kids' stuff that I'm "saving" for them, inherited pieces that I feel too guilty to give away but never use or even like, and what exactly is stored in my two cedar chests? 300,000 is totally possible.

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of librarians like to keep stuff. I look around the library and I see we all have a lot of stuff. Perhaps it's just that people who like to keep stuff tend to go into the Library Science field, which after all involves cataloging and organizing stuff- mostly books, but other stuff too.

Librarian Stuff

Anyway, sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with stuff. If you need help paring down or organizing your stuff we can help. Whether you want to build some shelves, organize a closet, or pare down, the library has materials to help you get started. And when you are done you will feel a new lightness. And have room for more stuff.

Babs and Chip in "Terror on the Mountain!"

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 15:04:00 +0000

The following is based upon a true story.

They drove the truck up the last few miles of dirt road, the serpentine switchbacks taking them higher and higher until they were finally up above the treeline. The drive up the mountain had taken them past little rivers and gentle waterfalls. The sunshine had even peeked out a couple of times. Now the mist shrouded everything. Earlier in the day Chip and Babs had spoken to an old timer that warned them of snow up on the mountain, but they were doubtful. Snow in the middle of July? Rain was much more likely.

Reaching a level spot at the end of the dirt road, they parked their sturdy 4-wheel drive and got out. The trail over the mountains was clearly laid out, a straight line traversing the side of the mountain just down from the top of the ridge until it bent out of sight around some boulders.

"Well, what do you think? Still want to go on this adventure?" asked Babs, her eyes on the grey clouds looming.

"That's why we came all this way, isn't it? We have no choice at this point. If we wanted to back out we should have done it in Superior, or Denver even. It's too late now. We're here and we're going to proceed on."

"Proceed on?" she repeated with a smile. "Those are the words Captain Clark used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 'We proceeded on'."

Chip smiled back. "I knew that would get you motivated."

Babs donned her foul weather gear-wool sweater, sweat pants, buff and scarf, and over all the thin green raincoat, As they headed down the trail all seemed well. The wind blowing across the high moor was refreshing. A family of marmots playing in the boulders drew her attention. As they came to the bend in the path, they saw that it proceeded on ahead around another bend. "We'll stop up there and see what there is to see", said Chip.

What there was to see was a steep downward plunge into a deep chasm. And more clouds. Soon the wind began to whip up, the light faded, and the rain came lashing down. Babs pulled up her hood and wished for warmer shoes. Stopping to catch her breath she noticed the sky light up with a sharp fork of lightening. The tremendous crash of thunder startled her so much she lost her footing on the now slippery slope and teetered on the edge of the chasm. Chip, coming up from behind, grabbed her hand as she slipped over and pulled her back up. But the rain was coming down so fast and hard that the path beneath their feet was beginning to wash down the mountainside. If they didn't move fast, they would go with it. Too late. Even as the thought occurred, she felt the ground beneath her feet slip and slide. Her tenners lost their grip. "Chip!" she screamed, and she felt her hand slipping through his.

Well, that's how I like to tell the story. It did rain while we were hiking. Everyone needs a little adventure.

Want some adventure in your life? A good start would be our display of Adventure books. And remember,

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

Beginner's Luck?

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 28 May 2015 16:06:00 +0000

Last weekend I took the Basic Rider Course at WITC to get my class M Motorcycle Operator’s license. I was somewhat nervous, having never been on a motorcycle before. But I can ride a bike, so hey, it can’t be that different, right? Within in my first half hour on the bike I fell over on it. I now have the bruises and scuffed boots and a great story to tell about the time I wiped out on my cycle.

Perhaps I should have consulted the ‘Everything Motorcycle Book’, wherein I would have learned that you should not apply the brakes while making a sharp turn on your motorcycle. Had I done some preliminary prep work, I may have earned my Class M Operator license.

How many times have you jumped into a project without the proper prep work? Most of us find the preparatory work the boring part. We want to get to it, make things happen, be finished, and succeed. But a big part of success is being prepared for success.

Being an absolute beginner at anything can be very intimidating. You don’t know the terminology. How should you hold the knitting needles, or the baseball, or the clutch? What does knit 1 purl 2 really mean? How much water is involved in painting with watercolors? Why is it called canning when I am using a jar?

Years ago, people often learned a skill from someone else in the home. Maybe grandma taught you how to knit or crochet. Dad threw the ball around with you after dinner, or Mom taught you how to back bread or can. Today with two parents working and grandma and grandpa living in their own homes longer, many of these skills are no longer passed along and we are on our own if we want to learn them.

Before you go to a class, pick up the paint brush, or throw the ball, check out the library. We have some great resources for absolute beginners. The 'for Dummies' series is geared toward the absolute beginner, as are the 'Everything ________' books. The Children's Room is an often overlooked resource for the adult beginner. You can find books in the Children's Room that explain things in a clear, concise manner.

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I will be retaking that class M license test. But first I will review all I learned and practice, practice, practice. Maybe on a scooter.

What's In a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:11:00 +0000

Lettice. Cale. Or, if you want to be more traditional, Kale. Maybe Romaine is more to your taste. A recipe for a salad, you ask? That would be a good guess, but no. These are actually trending baby names. Yes, Baby Lettice.

We have babies on the brain at the library lately since one of our own is due any minute now. We're always excited to get new patrons, and the youngest patrons are the library's future.

Did you know that you can get your child of any age a library card? Just have your own card in good standing, and you can get each of your children their own cards, too. I still remember the day I got my first library card. I remember how excited and privileged I felt. Having attained the great age of 5, I was now ready for the responsibilities and rights associated with a library card. I would walk down 12th Street to the Carnegie Library on Hammond Avenue at least once a week. I was a quiet child and I enjoyed the quiet pursuits of watching the fish in the aquarium, looking at the stereopticon, and of course, choosing and reading books. The Boxcar Children? The Fannie Farmer Cookbook? Maybe be daring and get both? My choices were ceremoniously brought up to the desk beneath the Mother Goose painting and the nice librarian would look up my card and check them out to me. I have very warm memories of that Children's Room.

Circa 1975 Children's Ro

Circa 2015

You can build your own happy memories with your child in our Children's Room, too. The aquarium is gone, but the painting of all the Mother Goose rhymes is still there as well as the nice librarian.

Any child from newborn on up can get their own library card. And studies show that when you read to your baby, you build important connections in the brain's language, social, and emotional areas. Holding baby close while you read to him/her fosters feelings of safety and happiness for both of you, and helps baby learn to connect reading with those good feelings.

How about trying out the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program? Sound daunting? If you read only one book to your child each night for 3 years you will have read well over 1,000 books! You may include ANY books your child listens to, whether read by you, a grandparent, sibling, teacher, Kindle, computer-you get the idea. So long as your child listens to the entire story, even if it's the same one over and over, it counts towards the 1,000 total.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is just one of many activities in our Children's Room. There's Story Hour every Tuesday at 10:30, LEGO Club the first Monday of every month, a new craft every month, movies, Summer Reading Program-check out the newsletter at superiorlibrary.org and then stop by the Children's Room to start building your own memories.

Be sure to bring in baby Cale so we can meet him (or her?).

Do you have fond memories of the library? I would love to hear them!

March Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 16:03:00 +0000

"O, that way madness lies; let me shun that;
no more of that."
King Lear

March Madness starts this Sunday. If you want to know more about it, check out http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/march-madness.htm. 65 (or is it 64?-so confusing) teams vying for the National Championship? I'm with King Lear on this one. May the best team win.

Merriam-Webster defines madness as: the quality or state of being mad: as

a. rage;
b.insanity;
c.extreme folly;
d. ecstasy, enthusiasm

Talk about extremes-from ecstasy to rage. We have all felt these feelings at one time or another. They are part of being a human being, and because we can identify with them they can make for a great story. In William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' all of the above named emotions show up. No wonder it is the most produced of Shakespeare's plays.

Talk to the skull 'cause the face ain't listening.

Love and madness seem to go hand in hand (see d above). One of my own personal favorite books about madness and love is Susan Fromberg Schaeffer's 'The Madness of a Seduced Woman'. The protagonist is Agnes Dempster, a high strung young girl in 1890's Vermont, who leaves her family home in the country to begin a new life in the city. Here she meets and falls in love with a young man, becoming more and more emotionally attached to the point of obsession.

Another favorite by the same author with some of the same themes is 'Time in its Flight'. This novel also takes place in Vermont in the mid-1800s. Although it is a touching story of a marriage, a big part of the story is how the family deals with the madness of a daughter after the death of her husband and baby girl in a diphtheria epidemic. I find this story fascinating because people really did go through this-whole families did die in epidemics, and still do today in some parts of the world. How do families deal with such heartache and pain?

For a different take on the them of madness read Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. Or watch the movie. Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Randle McMurphy as the criminal who ends up in Nurse Ratched's psychiatric ward is a good example of be careful what you wish for. Also see Jack in 'The Shining' as he spirals out of control in that lodge in the mountains. Here's Johnny!

The last on my short list of madness books is 'A Beautiful Mind'. "The true story of John Nash, mathematical genius who was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness, and who-thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics community-emerged after decades of ghost-like existence to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim." (from the book jacket). I confess, I didn't read the book, but I did watch the movie. A really wonderful, inspiring story of this man's triumph over mental illness.

For more on madness check out the back counter display at the library. Now I have to go fill out my bracket sheet. Happy March everybody!

Relationship Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 21:26:00 +0000

Ah, love. Amour. You have finally found the One. In the first throes of love, everything is new. You can't get enough. How did you live without this? You give friends the brush off, wanting to spend the evening or weekend with your new love. You forget to eat, forget to sleep, the new love is so fascinating.

But after a while things start to get stale. Slowly but surely, the newness wears off. It's the same old same old. Yet you persevere. Maybe this is just a phase. Don't all relationships go through this? Things become too comfortable, like an old pair of shoes. Predictable. Dare I say, boring?

Let the library set you up on a blind date. Through the month of February, the Superior Public Library will give readers a chance to go on a blind date with a book. We select the books, wrap them up, and you check them out. When you get home, rip off the cover to discover something new.

What's beneath the covers?

It is very easy today for a person to stay in their own comfort zone. Only enjoy classical music? or country? or hip-hop? iHeart radio, Spotify, Sirius-XM will all give you more of the same. Want to watch sports all day, or game shows, or only listen to a certain slant on the news? Very easy to do with so many channels available. Gone are the days of 3 major networks, when, because of limited offerings, a person was exposed to so much. Ed Sullivan had the Beatles and Elvis Presley on his stage, but he also had the Russian Moiseyev Dance Troupe, an interview with Fidel Castro,and Topo Gigio. If you wanted to see one of these, you were exposed to all of them. Talk about broadening your horizons.

Yes, you can go to Goodreads or Amazon to find the next thing to read. Computer algorithms are very good at giving us more of what we already like. And sometimes we all go on a binge, reading every book ever written by M.C. Beaton or whoever. But a steady diet of the same old same old gets dull. Blind Date with a Book is a low-stress way to get out of your reading comfort zone.

But really, the whole library is a low-stress way to get out of your comfort zone. If you only watch the new release movies, wander down the documentaries aisle. Check out a few jazz CDs. Walk past the new fiction to the non-fiction. Or just head over to your usual aisle, close your eyes, and put out your hand. Check out whatever you happen upon. It's all there for free. You won't be out anything except a little time. And you just might find a new love.

Celebrating the Season: Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:55:00 +0000

This period before Christmas is the time of year when I most enjoy Winter. The snow is still a wonder-so pretty to see everything covered in that blanket of white. The air is crisp. The frosty scent still feels new. In a couple of months I will be tired of moving the snow, and it will be dirty, and the cold will have gone on too long. For now, though, the quietness of Winter is a blessing.

This year I am taking a step back from Christmas to enjoy the season. Maybe you want to, too. Perhaps you are just exhausted with the whole production and want to simplify matters. Maybe you have suffered a loss. Or are worried about finances, or family, or whatever. Or just sick and tired of all the commercialism and expectations that swirl around Christmas. Winter doesn't have any of that. It is a quiet time to enjoy indoor pursuits and outdoor activities.

What could be nicer than hitting the trails on a pair of snowshoes or skis? Or just taking a walk in the woods? Even your own neighborhood takes on a new look in Winter. The bare trees are lovely in their shapes against the sky. The usual noises are muffled by the snow, and just the fact that less people are out and about because of the cold. Some brisk exercise can be just the thing. So can contemplative strolling. Just dress warmly!

Enthusiasts of downhill skiing and snowboarding eagerly watch the hills of Duluth to see those runs covered in snow. Fishermen and women are checking out the depth of ice on the bay or area lakes so they can get out there and hopefully land that big one. I always enjoy seeing the little ice houses dotting the bay as I go over the High Bridge.

After your exertions outside, a warm cup of cocoa and something hot to eat from the Crock Pot are perfect. One of the best feelings we get, living in the Northland, is that transition from a cold outside to a warm inside. Every room seems cozier, and home feels like a refuge.

If you can't or don't want to be outside, there are many meditative indoor pursuits. Knitting or crocheting a warm scarf or socks is both productive and relaxing. Google 'volunteer knitting' and you can find a home for those warm items. Of course, I always recommend reading. And I have recently re-discovered the fun and challenge of a jigsaw puzzle.

Check out the Library's display of Winter themed books at the Blog display in the Library for more ideas and meditations on the season. Wishing you all a peaceful, short Winter.

How to Cook a Turkey-The 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Cookbook Extravaganza

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:58:00 +0000

We can all picture it-the Norman Rockwell Turkey. Huge, enough to feed 20 people with leftovers for a week. A glistening golden brown skin. A moist, juicy interior. There is Grandma bringing it out from the kitching. The loving family gathered around oohs and aahs over it as Grampa expertly carves it all up.

Norman Rockwell was an artist. Art does not always imitate life. A huge turkey will never cook evenly in a home oven. That golden perfection of a skin will hide an under-done inside. Grandma will never be able to lift that platter. (Really, take a look at the size of that bird in the original. Maybe scrubbing all those floors by hand and kneading homemade bread made Grandma strong.) As for the rest of it, you know your family better than I do.

But the question remains: How to get that perfect turkey? There are as many ways to cook a turkey as there are cookbooks. Brined-wet or dry. High heat . Slow heat. Deep fried. Spit cooked. Stuffed/unstuffed. What is the home cook to do?

My old Betty Crocker cookbook says you can cook the turkey from frozen. Just remove the giblets about an hour into the cooking time. My mother told me they used to put the turkey in the oven at very low heat the night before Thanksgiving and it was ready to eat around noon. This might be similar to a recipe found on the Nourished Kitchen blog: 225 F for 12 hours, then 375 F for 1 1/2 hrs until the turkey is done, basting it every 2-3 hours. The instructions can be found here http://nourishedkitchen.com/slow-roast-turkey/

Nigella Lawson's turkey recipe in 'Feast calls for 2 hours for a 10 pound bird,. It involves starting the roasting off with the turkey upside down at 400 F for 30 minutes, down to 350 F for the rest of the time, and turning it back right side up for the last half hour. I don't know about you but turning a hot turkey up and down sounds like a recipe for disaster. Of course Nigella is English and the English don't really do Thanksgiving.

Rick Browne in 'Grilling for all Seasons' says you can pretty much grill the whole meal, He allows 20 minutes/lb if you are grilling the bird, 3-4 minutes for deep fried. This means my 10 pound turkey will be done in half an hour or so.

'Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well' by Sam Sifton suggests cutting the turkey up into its parts before roasting. This method takes 45-60 minutes for a 12-18 pound bird. I can see the merits to this method, but it just doesn't appeal to me for obvious reasons-see the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving above and replace the whole bird with a platter full of parts. Just doesn't seem right.

This is just a sampling of what's out there. Check out the library's display of Thanksgiving cookbooks for all the help you need. Or you could always do the smart thing and have it catered from the deli. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Star Wars! Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 16:11:00 +0000

Do you remember when you first saw those words crawling across the screen and into outer space? I was at Cinema 5 (?) in Duluth with a girlfriend. I was hooked-immediately and forever.

The library's annual Halloween Party theme this year is Star Wars. I can tell you, lots of people are really excited about this, from young children to hipsters to those of us who first lined up outside a movie theater to see Star Wars on the big screen that summer of 1977. What is it about these films that, 37 years later, adults and children alike get excited at the prospect of trick-or-treating in that galaxy far, far away?

Google cultural impact of Star Wars and you will get lots of answers. There are scores of scholarly papers on Star Wars and the heroic archetype. Some mention the general climate of the 70's, as a factor in Star Wars' success. As a country we were reeling from the effects of Watergate and the outcome of the Vietnam War. Other movies of the same time period echo that feeling. Chinatown, Serpico. The Godfather. These are gritty, tough movies. Are there heroes here? I suppose so, but they are drawn in grey. Star Wars has black and white, good and evil, and a hero all in white. Star Wars made us feel good about ourselves again. No ambiguity here.

Some compare Star Wars' themes to those in other classic stories. Star Wars and Shakespeare, with it's overtones of Hamlet. Star Wars and Casablanca, with Han Solo filling the role of Rick and Mos Eisley standing in for the city of Casablanca.

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Some mention how Star Wars changed movies in their technical aspects and pacing. Watch any of the aforementioned films, or really anything pre-Star Wars. I recently re-watched 'Rocky'. The pacing is S...L...O....W. Enter Star Wars. Lucas discovered that the human eye could take in twice as many images as was the standard for films up to that time, and you can see it in the pacing. Images fly across the screen, adding to the exhilarating experience of these films. The dialogue is fast too, almost a throwback to the 30's.

Of course, being only 13 when the movie came out, none of that really mattered to me. The images! The special effects! The story! Han Solo!

Whatever the reasons, the Star Wars movies are now a fixture of American culture, and close to many peoples hearts. I hope you all enjoy the party this Halloween. It runs from 10:00-12:00 and again 2:00-4:00 on October 31. Come as a Jedi, a Storm Trooper, or yourself. And may the Force be with you, always.

Of Blanket Forts and Books

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 16:48:00 +0000

It's official. The kids went back to school this week. The air has that crispness in the mornings that we love, but also secretly kind of dread, because we know what's just around the calendar corner. I won't go into it here.

Even though I am long out of school, this time of year always brings me back to those first days before the start of a new academic year. The anxiety dreams before school started-I can't find my locker ANYWHERE! I am late for ALL my classes! My alarm never went off, I am LATE FOR SCHOOL! I didn't sign up for any of these classes, WHERE IS MY SCHEDULE?! Lots of variations on the panic dream. And of course, just lots of stress in general, from "Who will I be sitting next to?" to "I hope everyone likes this John Travolta folder." I think that sense of anticipation which gets so ingrained in you as a child that you can't help but feel it still as an adult when September rolls around.

For myself, and many of my colleagues here at the library, reading was (and is) a great escape from a stressful world. We all have that one favorite book memory, the one that can take us back in time to lying on the bed reading late at night, or making a fort out of blankets, with a glass of milk and some cookies, and a good book. Someplace to hide from the world and enter a new one. I asked some of the staff here what their favorite childhood book memories are, and the answers follow.

The 'Golden Stallion' series by Rutherford Montgomery. "I had a Breyer horse collection lead by my own Golden Stallion, a dashing palomino, and his mare buddy, Trey Spot, an appaloosa also from the
series. I spent many hours in horse fantasy with my pal who had her own favorite Breyer, Black Stallion. Golden and Black had many adventures together."

'Daughter of the Mountains' by Louise Rankin. Momo's treasured Lhasa Apso Pempa is stolen by traders travelling the Silk Road into India. Momo follows them, trekking through Tibet, Nepal,
Bhutan, and India to find her beloved dog. "I was absolutely fascinated by the exotice locale. And I also wanted very badly to drink some butter tea, and acquire a golden Lhasa Apso for myself. I'm still on the lookout for a prayer wheel."

'Black Beauty' by Anna Sewell. "Not only did I love the book, but my grandmother would tell my sisters and me stories from the book if she was babysitting for the evening. I still remember listening to Grandma as she regaled us with Black Beauty's adventures."

"Here is my favorite book when I was very young (Rabbit Hill). I loved animals for as long as I can remember (like a lot of people; nothing special there). I remember little Georgie rabbit getting hit by a car, but recovers, and the book has a happy ending for all the animals. Just resonated with me."

Other staffers mention 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle, the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew Mysteries, and the Happy Hollisters.

And finally, here is a story that a staffer related to me. The other evening, 2 staff members were talking about how their absolute favorite childhood book was "Anne of Green Gables." A child came up to the desk with some books to check out, and one was "Anne of Green Gables." When she was asked if she wanted to check it out she replied,http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/5-steps-to-building-your-own-epic-blanket-fort#4j501y0 "No, this is my own personal copy." So good to know that another generation is discovering these wonderful books, and making their own memories about them. I hope she went home and built a fort to read it in.

Click here for ideas for your own blanket fort! http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/5-steps-to-building-your-own-epic-blanket-fort#4j501y0

The Great American Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 16:41:00 +0000

The romance of the open road is mythic in America. Just get in the car and drive. Pack a cooler, stop at the wayside for lunch, and let the road take you wherever. North, South, East, West-the destination is not as important as the road to it.

Growing up, the Road Trip was eagerly looked forward to in my family. At first they were short trips-camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Glacier National Park in Montana. Then my older sister moved to the West Coast, and our Road Trips became much longer. Planning was almost as fun as going. We would haul out the Rand McNally road atlas and plan our route. The drive itself was enforced down time, at least for us kids-no cell phones then, no CD or DVD players, no Sirius XM radio. Only the view out the window, whatever was on the local AM station, and some books. Lots of napping. The afternoon ritual of finding a motel that my mother approved of. Later on I made the same trips with my own kids. A little more stressful than I remembered, what with having to be in charge of packing, but I had a great time. And still, no entertainment other than the talking robot 2XL that my son had, and lots of books and napping. The Great American Road Trip is quantity time, but it somehow morphs into being quality time, too.

The Lewis and Clarke Expedition has to be the first Great American Road Trip. They set off with the purpose of finding and easy water route to the Pacific and came upon many unforeseen obstacles and fortuitous meetings. 'Undaunted Courage' by Stephen Ambrose is a riveting account of their journey, and the inspiration for many a road trip following in their steps.

'Travels with Charley in Search of America' by John Steinbeck is another great Road Trip book. Steinbeck took his dog Charley and drove across the US in a camper in 1960. For a different take on roughly the same time period, try the classic 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac.

The Road Trip has been used as the basis for lots of movies. Here's just a few:

Little Miss Sunshine
Paper Moon
It Happened One Night
The Road movies of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

If you want to plan your own Road Trip, I recommend 'Let's Go Roadtripping USA.' It covers every region of the country and parts of Canada, too. Reader's Digest's 'Off the Beaten Path' will guide you to our country's hidden gems. And I still use the Rand McNally Road Atlas. The Internet is great for researching specifics, but an atlas is full of possibilities.

And as usual, your library has everything you need to plan and carry out your own Road Trip. But I wouldn't recommend planning too much. Let the road be your guide. Drive Safely!

Summer's Guilty Pleasures: in Praise of the Gothic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Lying out on a blanket in the backyard, a Shasta pop near at hand. The scent of Johnson's baby oil (for getting a tan-no sunscreen in those days). A good friend to share the blanket with. And a book, most likely some gothic romance. These are the things that marked summer days when I was growing up.

With the warmer weather of summer beckoning, many of us turn to lighter reading. Beach lit. Chick lit. The romance novel. Fantasy. We all have our guilty pleasures and summer is the best time to indulge in them. One of mine is the gothic novel.

What is a gothic novel? They have a few characteristics. They generally have a real sense of place-most often a house-the more run down the better. The protagonist is isolated, physically or metaphorically. There is a sense of decay, either in location (the aforementioned house) or circumstance (a family that has come down in the world).' Wuthering Heights' is a classic gothic novel. Other, newer examples include:

'Rustication' by Charles Palliser. The protagonist is a young man who has returned home after being kicked out of Oxford for mysterious reasons, only to find murder and suspicion rife among the village's inhabitants.

'The Witching Hour' by Anne Rice. If you've been reading this blog awhile you will know that his is one of my favorite books.The story takes place in modern day New Orleans The heroine is a brilliant young doctor who returns home after the death of her mother and learns about her family and the strange hauntings of their decrepit Garden District home.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Set in post war Warwickshire, England , not only is the family house, Hundreds Hall, in decline, but a whole way of life for the upper classes of England is on the brink.

But I have to admit that my favorite guilty pleasure is still the gothic romance novel. I was first introduced to this genre with the book 'My Brother Michael' by Mary Stewart. It has all the hallmarks of the.gothic romance:

the Young Heroine-Camilla Haven, British subject;
the Exotic Locale-Delphi, Greece;
the Handsome Stranger-Simon Lester, searching for his brother who has gone missing;
and, of course, a mystery to be solved by our heroine.

To a 12 year old this was all pretty sophisticated stuff. Romance, mystery, British dialogue. Like Nancy Drew, but all grown up. I wanted more. I devoured Ms. Stewart's other novels: Nine Coaches Waiting, Touch Not the Cat, This Rough Magic and more. I also discovered M.M. Kaye and her 'Death in' series: Death in Zanzibar, in Kashmir, in Kenya, in Cyprus. Today when I see a battered paperback with a fuzzy drawing of a young woman sneaking around I am invariably drawn to read it. I stash these away for vacations or long twilight evenings on the porch.

Whatever your guilty reading pleasure, get out a blanket, pour yourself a beverage, and settle down for a good read. And don't forget the sunscreen.

A Trip Back in Time....

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 17:01:00 +0000

May 1, 1888.

Picture a bright, clear Spring day. Mr. John Doe is in his dining room, enjoying his breakfast and reading the two local papers, the Superior Inter-Ocean and the Superior Times. Mrs. Jane Doe is nearby, pouring coffee and going over her morning's correspondence.

"John", she says, "when you go to the polls this morning, don't forget to vote 'Yes' on the library ballot."

John nods his assent. As though he could forget! She has been badgering him about this topic for weeks.

"I know, Dear. I believe as strongly as you that Superior needs a library. The city is growing. Someday we will be as big as Chicago. All great cities need a library."

John Doe pecks his wife on the cheek and heads out the door. He has several errands to do before he gets to his office today. He has noticed an ad in the paper for a new barber. Mr. Joseph Hinds, formerly of Duluth, has set up shop in rooms at McCormack's Saloon. Mr. Doe could use a haircut. This week is his 2nd Anniversary. He has plans to surprise Jane with tickets on the train to St. Paul. And he must stop at Mrs. Dink's today. She has a new shipment of millinery, and Jane was going on about a pretty blue hat she was admiring in the window. The hat will make a perfect anniversary gift.

But before anything else, Mr. Doe does the most important thing that he will do today. He stops at the polling place to cast his vote in favor of establishing a library in Superior, Wisconsin.

April 24, 1889

Jane sweeps into the house late on a blustery April afternoon. The sky is spitting snow, but inside it is warm and cozy. John is near the fire, buried in his paper as usual.

"I'm sorry to be so late, John," she says as she removes her cape and hat. " I stopped by the new library rooms to take a look around. I met the librarian-Mrs. Delia Freestone. She seems like a very nice lady, but she has her work cut out for her. All those books to prepare!And I heard that her wages are $35 a month. She will definitely be working hard for them."

Library in upper right building

John nods and keeps reading. "What's for dinner?", he asks.

March 1901

"Well, I see Mr. Carnegie is going to help Superior with the building of a library. I suppose the city will have to cough up some money for that too. What's wrong with the one we have?" John throws down the paper.

"But Dear, it's such a small amount for such a good cause. Little Billy only had that tiny library to use, but Little Sally will grow up having a proper library to go to. The rooms they are using now are crammed to the ceiling. This will be bright and airy, and so centrally located."

"You're right, darling. You usually are. Now what are we having for dinner?"

June 1902

Jane and Little Billy walk happily through the doors, bringing the scent of lilacs into the house. Their arms are full of books. Even Little Sally has one. All three are chatting happily about the new library.

"John, you missed the Grand Opening! There were so many people there. I think all 4 cars in the city showed up! And the building is just gorgeous. It looks so dignified."

John smiles at his happy wife. When she's happy, he's happy. But it's past time for dinner.

September 1918

"Darling, I see in the paper that the East End library is finally opening. Too bad it was delayed by that coal shortage last year." John turns a page in his morning paper.

"Yes, now Billy's family will have a library much closer to their house. It will be very nice for them-Little Billy Jr will be able to walk there. Who would have thought 30 years ago that Superior would end up with two libraries? John, I never thanked you for your vote that day. You spoke for me, too, when you cast your ballot in favor of the library. And now not only our family, but many families to come, will enjoy the fruits of that decision. Thank you."

Thank you, indeed.

We're Gonna Party Like It's...1939

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Thu, 22 May 2014 16:27:00 +0000

Did you know that this year the Superior Public Library is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a video contest? Perhaps you wonder what libraries and movies have in common? Well.....

Browsing the new book section recently, I noticed a new filmography-"Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939" by Mark A Vieria.

Films of 1939" by Mark A Vieria. Well here is a coincidence! I had just watched "1939-A TCM Original Documentary" on Turner Classic Movies. Apparently 1939 was the pinnacle of Hollywood movie making. Why? I decided to dig a little bit deeper.

Of the ten movies nominated for Best Picture that year, over half have novels as their source material. They are:
"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
"The Wizard of Oz" by Frank L. Baum
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
" Goodbye, Mr. Chips" by James Hilton
"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.
And according to TCM.com, the source material for "Stagecoach" was a short story written by Ernest Haycox and published by Collier's magazine in 1937. (By the way, if you're interested in reading any of these and then watching the movie, we can help you with that-the library has most of these titles in both formats.)

There has been a long association between movies and books. The 1902 French film "A Trip to the Moon" is loosely based upon Jules Verne's novels "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Around the Moon." 0watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNLZntSdyKE

More recently, of the 2014 Academy Award nominees 4 of the 9 are based on novels or memoirs:
Captain Phillips-"A Captain's Duty:Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Richard Phillips
Philomena-"The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sixsmith
12 Years a Slave-"12 Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup
The Wolf of Wall Street-"The Wolf of Wall Street" by Jordan Belfort

So to embrace the long historical link between the written word and film, as well as to celebrate our quasquicentennial, the Superior Public Library is proud to announce our 125th Anniversary Video Contest!

A Grand Prize of $250 is in the offing, as well as $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd. The deadline to enter is August 31, 2014. Complete rules can be found atsuperiorlibrary.org Choose any genre you like-the only criteria is that it showcase one of Superior's public libraries, old or new. Maybe you have some fond memories of the library-put them on film! (Well, actually digital. Film has come a long way since 1939).

Listen While You Work

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Fri, 02 May 2014 16:04:00 +0000

Last night while working the front desk at the library, a patron who was checking out some audiobooks commented to me that audiobooks had helped them get through some remodeling projects in their kitchen.

Do you have a project coming up? Spring is the time when people start thinking about their DIY home improvements. My own project is to paint the living room, if it ever warms up enough to open the windows. Or maybe you are in the mood for some Spring cleaning. Perhaps you spend a lot of time commuting. Whatever the situation, these activities can get monotonous. Listening to something while you work or travel can make the time fly by.

The library has over 900 books on CD and cassette in adult, young adult and children's titles. Something is sure to appeal to you.

For all ages I recommend "The Lord of the Rings". It is available as a straight read-thru in three books, but my personal favorite is the BBC radio production starring Sir Ian Holm. Not everyone know that before he played Bilbo Baggins in the movies, Sir Ian played Frodo Baggins in the radio dramatization.

Sir Ian Holm

Another family friendly one is "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket. The books are read by Tim Curry, who you may know as Dr. Frank-n-Furter from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". He does a completely marvelous performance of this darkly comic children's series.

Tim Curry

Dr. Frank-n-Furter

The" Harry Potte"r series performed by Jim Dale is another wonderful series to listen to. A friend of mine who "never reads children's book" listened to these and totally enjoyed them.

I rarely read non-fiction, but I will listen to it. David Sedaris is a great humorist and he reads his own stories. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is funny to read but listening to Mr. Sedaris read it is hilarious. Garrison Keillor has lots of different books on CD, from biography to fiction to stories of Lake Wobegon from his "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show. Many authors will read their own autobiographies on CD. Hearing someone read their own story adds to my understanding and enjoyment of their stories.

Maybe you want get some education while your are doing your manual labor. Parlez-vous francais? Non? We can help with that. French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and many more languages are available on CD. Or maybe you want to catch up on the Shakespeare you found so boring in high school. The library has over 30 of his most popular plays performed on CD.

So after you hit Menard's or Home Depot or Campbell's Lumber for your home improvement supplies, stop by the Library for some other supplies. You'll be done before you know it, and ready to start on a new project so you can finish that last chapter. Happy listening.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Librarian Mary) — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 15:27:00 +0000

This weekend, April 25th and 26th, the Friends of the Superior Public Library will put on their annual Book Sale. The Friends spend all year preparing for this 2 day sale, sorting and pricing the many books, CDs, music, and art that will be for sale. Most of the items come from the generous donations of our patrons. Every so often a person will come in with bags and boxes full of books or movies. "I need to clean this stuff out. I don't have the room for it anymore." I will usually see that same person at the sale with bags and boxes full of new acquisitions. They will go home, read their "new" books, watch their "new" movies, and re-donate them. But in among all the "new" stuff they will find a new favorite that will stay on their shelf. It will become a permanent member of their collection, and will be treasured.

The first book I ever purchased for myself was a library bound copy of Sir Walter Scott's 'Ivanhoe". It was purchased at Cathedral School's Mardi Gras, which still takes place every year. Back then they had a White Elephant room with donated items for sale. There were always lots of books. It had a plain red cover-didn't look like much. But the binding was sewn and it had beautiful copperplate illustrations. I treasured it. I was so sad when our basement flooded and everything in the bookcase was ruined.

I have a whole series of etiquette books that have been purchased second-hand. The oldest one is from 1877. I keep these in the new bookcase upstairs.

(The etiquette books hold a weird fascination for me. They give a look at the mores of a society that has gone through a lot of changes. Some have beautiful illustrations:

One has an unusual section about dating married men:)

And who knew there would be art work at the book sale? A few years ago I picked up 2 beautiful watercolors at one of the library's sale for $2.00 a piece, had them re-framed, and hung them in the kitchen.

If you are having a fit of uncluttering the library takes donations all year round. It's not too late to donate for this year's sale. And after you make all that room, stop by and refill those empty shelves. You never know what new treasures you'll find.