Merrimack Public Library Blog

On Masai Mara: A photo adventure in Kenya

2012-01-24T17:41:00.005-05:00

Join Merrimack's Tim McMahon on Wednesday, February 1, at 7 pm for a virtual safari to Kenya. Tim has had the good fortune to visit Kenya several times. He has even been on a walking safari with the Masai, a privilege extended only by invitation to a few lucky people.

In addition to his "day jobs" of career counseling and business consulting, Tim is also a talented photographer, and the audience will enjoy his photos and videos of this beautiful country, its culture, and its diverse wildlife.

Seating is limited and registration is strongly recommended. You can register here, email here, or call 424-5021 to reserve your seat.

Reading on the go

2012-01-21T12:48:00.003-05:00

Our upcoming booksale is a great opportunity to purchase books at a discount and take them on the road. Buy a handful of paperbacks for a couple of dollars, pack them in your suitcase, and leave them along the way, as you finish each title. I've left books in many cities and airports. Someone may chase after you to remind you of the "lost" item, but more than likely, someone else will enjoy your read next.

Another great way to read while you travel is to take advantage of NH Downloadable Books, with audio and e-books available for download to your computer and device. We have "Cheat Sheets" for download to Kindle, I-Pad, Nook and other devices if you want to see what's involved. Stop by the Reference Desk for more information.

Happy trails!

It's time for our mid-winter booksale!

2012-01-18T16:36:00.001-05:00

Our annual mid-winter book sale will be held on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29 on the library's lower level. The sale will feature thousands of books of all kinds, some donated by generous friends and others no longer needed by the library. Saturday's prices range from 25 cents to one dollar, and on Sunday all books will be sold for $2 a bag and we'll provide the bags. In anticipation of the sale, we are accepting donations of good used books and media. We cannot accept condensed books, text books, VHS tapes, magazines or books that have been wet or stored in a damp place--your nose should be your guide. Books may be delivered to the library in non-returnable containers during regular library hours thru January 26. For more information, call 424-5021 or email.

Dangerously High: A Personal Dramatic Presentation of Bi-polar Disorder

2012-01-17T15:40:00.002-05:00

When Kitty McKay was growing up in Merrimack, she was a fun loving child with many friends, a confident teenager, prom queen and valedictorian. In college, she was a Cum Laude college student, and later, a compassionate teacher and a doting a young mother.

When Kitty's "natural high" became the "dangerous high" of bi-polar disorder, her life changed dramatically. She endured the personal, professional, and financial side-effects of a life out of control, until 1995, when her recovery began in earnest, and she regained her "natural high."

Now Kitty's mission is to share her story with others. Kitty has written a one-woman play, which she will present at the library on Wednesday, January 25, at 7 pm. Kitty has a performed other one-woman shows as Abigail Adams, Florence Nightingale, and Confederate spy Belle Boyd, but "Dangerously High" is her personal story brought to life as a message of hope to the mentally ill and the people who love them.

This program is open to all adults and mature teens. Registration is recommended by calling 424-5021, emailing or visiting our calendar.

You can learn more at Kitty's website.

Author Anna Stover

2012-01-12T13:29:00.004-05:00

Please join us for a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Nashua from 2-4:00 this Saturday afternoon, January 14. Fifth grader Anna Stover of Merrimack, New Hampshire, is the author of Casey and Bella Face Their First Bully.

Anna, age 10, submitted the story last year as part of a nationwide writing contest for third, fourth, and fifth graders. She will be joined by New Jersey author, Jane Lovascio, who has chosen Anna's story idea for the Casey and Bella Book Series.

Anna is the daughter of Merrimack Public Library staff member Jennifer Stover.

Wacky Songs That Made Us Laugh: our first event of 2012

2012-01-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

Calvin Knikerbocker

The Friends of the Merrimack Library has received a grant from the NH Humanities Council to present this program on Wednesday, January 11 at 7 pm. Calvin Knickerbocker will lead the discussion on how popular songs with humorous lyrics have kept us laughing since Colonial times. We need comic relief and songs provide some of the best (sometimes unintentionally). Excerpts from hilarious songs help chart the evolution of musical humor from the 1920s to the 1980s. Selections poke fun at WW II enemies, diets, television, sex, Christmas, summer camp, religion, and many aspects of life. Laugh as you recall wacky moments from the past and discover new ones. The program is free and open to adults and teens. The NHHC nurtures and inspires community engagement by bringing life-enhancing ideas from the humanities to the people of New Hampshire. Learn more about the Council at http://www.nhhc.org/.

This program is free and open to all adults and teens. Due to space limitations, registration is strongly recommended by visiting our calendar, emailing, or calling 424-5021.

Ready to volunteer?

2011-12-27T18:07:00.003-05:00

The January Book Page arrived today (free handout from the Merrimack Public Library.) On the back cover is an ad for World Book Night--a new event designed to share the joy of reading with as many new, underserved readers as possible. Go to the website: www.us.worldbooknight.org/

Choose a book that you love from their list, and sign up to volunteer on April 23, 2012 as one of 50,000 volunteer book givers.

NH Downloadable Books Training Coming Up January 4

2011-12-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

The ever-evolving world of eBooks and eReaders, combined with Christmas, is prompting us to offer another session of training. On January 4 at 7 pm, Nancy Vigezzi and I will host a 90-minute program on how to use your eReader with NH Downloadable Books (NHDB), a free service of 170 NH public libraries and the NH State Library. At this writing, there are just 2 seats open, but we're taking a waiting list and will offer another session in February if needed. You can register here.

When we offered our first session almost a year ago, there were far fewer ePub readers on the market, and the Amazon Kindle was not even compatible with NHDB. So much has changed, and that makes training more complicated. However, the two eBook formats--Kindle and ePub--work in distinct ways, and that's what we'll be showing you. From a practical standpoint, we can't demonstrate all eReaders, so if you're planning to attend training, you will need to understand how your individual reader operates. We'll explain how NHDB works, show you how to set up an account, download any necessary software, and select, checkout, download and transfer titles to your eReader.

On another note, there is a lot of chatter on the web these days about how the price of eBooks is rising, even as the price of eReaders is dropping. Some eBooks now cost almost as much as a discounted hardcover. This isn't good news for people who'd hoped that eBooks would allow them to own more books for less money. The big players--Amazon and Barnes & Noble--are working the system to their advantage by selling both readers and content. After all, they're in the business of profit, and they know how consumers think and spend. Not meant to discourage you from getting an eReader, just a heads up.

Christopher Hitchens, April 13, 1949 –December 15, 2011

2011-12-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell who trained his sights on targets as various as Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-seller attacking religious belief, and dismayed his former comrades on the left by enthusiastically supporting the American-led war in Iraq, died on Thursday in Houston. He was 62. ~ New York Times, December 16, 2011

The Merrimack Public Library owns several of Christopher Hitchens' books, including Hitch 22: a memoir (2010), Arguably: essays (2011) and God is Not Great: how religion poisons everything (2007). His writing is also available through our online magazine index, Harper's Magazine, Vanity Fair and other journals for which he wrote. Please contact the reference desk if you'd like help in finding some of his work.

Book Discussion Groups

2011-12-16T12:03:00.004-05:00

It has been a great pleasure serving the Merrimack community's book discussion groups these past few years. In addition to the monthly discussion sponsored by the library, there are several individual book clubs in town that require books for their groups. As Jan stated in a previous post, the newest and more popular titles are a little more difficut to obtain, but we are happy to work with you in getting the book you want to read.

Jan mentioned the READS-TO-GO book bags at http://reads-to-go.blogspot.com
and there is also the NH State Library list of book bags at http://nh.gov/nhsl/services/librarians/bookbag/index.html. Contact the reference desk for help.

There are so many great reads out there, we hope that you will take a look at some of them.

Book Clubs

2011-12-13T20:19:00.002-05:00

The Book Group that I attend had its meeting today, discussing Ernest Hemingway's somewhat biographical book, A Moveable Feast. It was an interesting discussion (not a favorite from our reading list, with a number of us not even finishing the book) but an excellent get-together. Holiday treats comprised OUR feast!

The question at the library is often, what to read next. Book Groups can get extra copies through our system, so new and best seller titles are not recommended, as they are too hard to get. What's a perfect choice is a book from the New Hampshire READS-to-Go kits. A bag of books is shipped to our library for your group for a month.

Great suggestions are found at this website, with discussion questions included in the links. Even if you're looking for personal reading choices, this is a good place to start. http://reads-to-go.blogspot.com

You know you need a good book while you're munching on those holiday cookies!

A literary--and artistic--mystery in Scotland

2011-12-12T16:51:00.002-05:00

The link below came to us from a library supporter, and we are as intrigued with the story as she was. Over the course of a few months earlier this year, a series of intricate sculptures made from books (most by Edinburgh writer Ian Rankin) began appearing in various libraries and literary archives. All carried notes professing "support of libraries, books, words, ideas..." but no clues as to the identity of the sculptor nor the means by which the sculptures were secreted into the various buildings. Click on this link and tell us what you think...

http://thisiscentralstation.com/featured/mysterious-paper-sculptures/

Shoo-Doo-an'-Shoo-Bee-Doo...and Happy Holidays, too

2011-12-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

The Bel-Airs will present "A Doo-Wop Christmas" on Wednesday, December 14, at 7 pm. The Bel Airs are a 5-member mixed-gender oldies and doo wop vocal group who have performed throughout the area at retirement homes, fairs, and other venues. The group consists of Randy Filliger, Denice Filliger, Gabe Cohen, Trisha Sweeney, and Dick Kruppa. This holiday-theme concert brings back the music of the times of bee hive hairdos, cars with big tail fins, and poodle skirts-- not only the memorable holiday music of the times such as "Here Comes Santa Claus," "I'll be Home For Christmas," and "White Christmas," done in the original style, but also the most memorable doo wop hits of the day.

Visit their web page at www.myspace.com/TheBelAirsDooWop. This event is free and open to all adults and teens. Registration is recommended by clicking here calling 424-5021 or emailing.

A study is released and it's a real eye-opener!

2011-12-03T12:03:00.001-05:00

Library Journal, a major publication in the library field, has just released the first findings from a study of library patrons. A sample of 2,421 library users whose frequency of library usage and book buying were similar to the statistical norm were surveyed to see how their library usage influenced their book buying habits. While covering both print and digital books, the study was especially important in demonstrating that readers who borrow eBooks from the library also buy eBooks.

Why is this point so important? If you download eBooks from the New Hampshire Downloadable Books Consortium, you may have noticed that titles from four of the so-called Big Six publishers are not included. That's because Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette do not make their eBooks available for library lending. Harper Collins limits the number of check-outs to 26, making its titles a poor value for a consortium with 170 member libraries and a less than ideal budget. That leaves Penguin and Random House as the only major players, and even Penguin pulled all their titles from library lending for a few days last week before restoring all but the front-list--the titles everyone wants to read.

The major publishers fear that library lending will drain profits and author royalties. This is an understandable concern. But the study shows that library users are more likely to buy a book or eBook after reading something borrowed from the library. If they don't want to wait on a reserve list or can't finish an eBook in the 2 weeks allowed, the next obvious option is to buy. To quote from the study: "...library users are avid readers, listeners, and talkers, and ...the library is an important part of a rich ecosystem of cultural exchange that is seamlessly connected to the marketplace."

As more data is released, the Big Six need to sit up and pay attention. Libraries and consortia like ours buy eBooks. Our readers buy eBooks. By withholding their titles from library lending platforms, they are cheating themselves, their authors, and consumers. It's time to join the party. As I've said in previous posts, the eBook picture changes almost daily. This is a change that's overdue.

It's time for our Annual Holiday Tea!

2011-12-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

Join us on Tuesday, December 6, from 4 to 6 pm for our Annual Holiday Tea. This festive event features tea (served in china tea cups), spiced cider, cookies, holiday music by dulcimer player Sandy Lafleur, and good company provided by YOU!

All Merrimack residents and library patrons are welcome to attend and make the Annual Tea part of their holiday tradition.

Holiday Feasting

2011-11-22T17:49:00.003-05:00

"What's for Dessert?" is the theme of our display in the Reference area this month. If you're wondering how many cookbooks the library owns, you'd probably be surprised. There are selections for beginners and for advanced chefs, a variety of nationalities and regional flavors, appliance related recipes for a crock pot or a bread machine, special diet selections like gluten-free and heart healthy, ingredient specific titles--Too Many Tomatoes, and The Compleat Blueberry Cookbook--and, a personal favorite, the ever popular menu by course including DESSERTS!

If that doesn't make you hungry enough, there are also novels and mysteries on display featuring desserts in their titles. Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke have each pubished series focusing with dessert themes--Tough Cookie and Fatally Flaky by Davidson; Lemon Meringue Pie Murder and Peach Cobbler Murder by Fluke. Other choices are familiar with dessert on the sidelines: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.

Stop by for a good recipe and leave with an armful of holiday reading.

"A Christmas Carol" as you've never seen it before

2011-11-21T12:13:00.001-05:00

Pontine Theatre, known for its unique dramatizations, will be here again on Thursday, December 1, at 7 pm with a Toy Theatre presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Toy Theatre is an antique parlor entertainment,performed with a miniature, two-dimensional stage and cut-out scenery and actors. It reached the height of popularity in England, during the Victorian era; the art form is ideally suited to a rendition of Dickens’ story.

This event has been funded by generous donations from the Friends of the Library and Merrimack Friends & Famililes! It is appropriate for adult audiences and children age 10 and up. Seating is limited, so registration is recommended by clicking here, emailing, or calling 424-5021

What is MerrimackPatch and what can I do with it?

2011-11-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

MerrimackPatch (http://merrimack.patch.com/) is the newest source for local news and community announcements. You can post events and photos as a citizen journalist. MerrimackPatch is also looking for bloggers. Currently, you can read career tips from Tim McMahon, follow the adventures of Wendy Thomas' flocks (chicken and human), let Kareen Hannan teach you how to help your child with autism, and get food reviews from Michelle Collins. Check out the blogs under Local Voices.

MerrimackPatch editor Carolyn Dube will be at the library to help you Make the Most of Patch, on Wednesday, November 30, at 7 pm, to tell you how you can use Patch to publicize the things about Merrimack that you're passionate about. From local sports to organizational events to the arts, there's lots to see at MerrimackPatch. Come see how you can be part of this local, hands-on site.

It's helpful for us to have a rough headcount for seats and snacks, so please register here.

Geeky Science Fiction Fun

2011-11-18T14:05:00.011-05:00

Last summer National Public Radio published a list of their "Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books."

SF Signal, a wonderful science fiction blog, created a flowchart of the books. If you click on the following image you'll go to the online version of the flowchart. Keep clicking to enlarge it to a readable size and to move around the page.

Finally, to top off the science-fiction-geeky-fun, SF Signal created an interactive (and simplified) guide to the books. Click on the image to go to the interactive guide.

You don't have to thank me. Just enjoy!

No turkeys will be harmed...

2011-11-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

It's time for the library's 2nd Annual Turkey Shoot Fundraiser on Thursday, November 17 at the Merrimack High School cafeteria. The doors will open at 6 pm, and the raffles will start at 6:45 pm. Here's how it works...There will be 4 raffles of 50 prizes each. The prizes are frozen turkeys, baskets of veggies, pies, and cider--everything for your Thanksgiving dinner. You will have a chance to buy tickets for each of the 4 raffles. When the first 50 tickets are drawn, you buy tickets for the second raffle and so on. The more tickets you buy, the more you can win.

And that's not all! Local merchants have donated prizes for a separate raffle of goods and services. And the Merrimack High Drama Club will be on hand to sell refreshments that you can gobble down during the excitement. It's fast, it's fun, and it's a fundraiser! All proceeds (except for the Drama Club concession, which benefit that club) will go the the Merrimack Library Development Fund, which supports projects that move the library closer to the new building Merrimack hopes to see someday.

Also that night, we will draw the winning tickets for the beautiful Victorian dollhouse, Harry Potter Lego© set, Monopoly© game with electronic banking, and a beautiful baby doll currently on display at the library. Tickets will be on sale at the library until noon on Thursday, then again in the evening at MHS. You do not need to be present to win.

So mark your calendar and plan to come to the MHS cafeteria on Thursday night. See how easy and fun it is to assemble your Thanksgiving feast while helping a good cause.

Another Job Seminar with Tim McMahon

2011-11-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

New date! Career Counselor Tim McMahon will be back on Thursday, December 8 for a follow-up to his recent seminar for people seeking new jobs. This time, he'll be answering The JobSeekers FAQ. Tim will expand on his previous seminar by focussing on the feedback from attendees that indicated what topics they wanted to explore further. Some of those topics will be:

How do I use social media like LinkedIn and Facebook to find new networking contacts and more job openings?

How can I get companies to notice me when I apply online?

How do I win the job when I'm not the exact fit?

What kind of companies are most likely to hire me?

Handling challenging interviews - the phone screen, the group interview, 2nd and 3rd interviews.

So, if you attended Recharge Your Job Search, or even if you didn't, join us at 6:30 pm on December 8 in the Klumpp Room. Registration is helpful for planning purposes, but not necessary. Visit our calendar to register, call 424-5021, or email.

Where's Waldo?

2011-11-07T17:53:00.002-05:00

Looking for a close to home, low cost adventure? Planning for the holidays as they inch closer? (Veterans Day is Friday!) Want to escape the TV and get a little culture?
Check out a museum pass from the library. There's a choice of 15 venues in New Hampshire and Boston, entitling the bearer to free admission in some places and half price entry at others. Be sure to make your reservation early, since some "sell out" fast. The library offers one pass per day per location. Connect on-line through our website or call the library to book your pass, then stop by and pick it up here.
You may find a new site to explore this week. And maybe run into Waldo in your travels.

No Power

2011-11-03T16:11:00.006-04:00

Merrimack Public Library has been an inviting place this week for those wishing to warm up and have a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. We have had many people come in to use the Internet or Wi-Fi service, or simply to recharge those phones. Conditions were a bit crowded on Monday, as many were looking for spots to access their personal computers. One woman was happy to set up her PC on the top of an available bookcase, as all tables and chairs were taken.

The kids are back in school today and power is slowly being restored in town. We hope you are all safely in your homes and businesses soon, with heat and electricity.

Chronicles of Harris Burdick

2011-10-27T18:24:00.009-04:00

Exciting news from writer Cory Doctorow, author of young adult novel Little Brother. Doctorow is also a blogger at Boing Boing:

"(October 25 marked) the publication of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, an anthology of short stories inspired by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, a much-loved book of illustrations and titles for short stories that never existed. For decades, writers young and old have produced their own stories to accompany the illustrations.

Houghton Mifflin commissioned a variety of writers to write "official" young adult stories to go with these evocative images. The roster of contributors includes Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg -- and me! (I wrote a story about interdimensional travel to go with "Another Time, Another Place")."

The Merrimack Public Library owns a copy of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, which you can find in the children's room. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is on order and should arrive soon.

Fred Marple, Ambassador from Frost Heaves, NH

2011-10-20T12:05:00.000-04:00

The very funny Ken Sheldon returns to the Merrimack Library on Thursday, October 27, at 7 pm, as his alter ego, Fred Marple, spokesperson for Frost Heaves, the most under-appreciated town in New Hampshire. Fred will tell you everything you'd like to know about his town, along with a few things you'd probably rather not know, such as.....well, I wouldn't want to steal Fred's thunder.

You can check out Ken's/Fred's website for, as he calls it, "humor, music and assorted nonsense." He has some videos posted there, including, for you fitness fans, "Yoga for Yankees." And just in time for the primary season, you can read the article Fred wrote for NH Magazine about the exciting travel package the folks of Frost Heaves have put together for the presidential hopefuls as they swing through our state. I'm sure they'll be looking forward to a fun day in Frost Heaves.

You can have a fun evening with Fred, but we'd like to know that you're coming so we can find a good place for you to sit a spell. You can register right here, or call 424-5021, or even email us.

This is the final program of our 2011 One Book, One Town month. Raffle winners will be selected at this program. You do not need to be present to win, but then you'd miss Fred, wouldn't you?