Volunteer weed pullers are needed at the Beach library
Weekly Activities
-Preschool Story Hour for children on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10:30 a.m.
-Evening at the Movies on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 6:00 p.m.
-Jewelry Making class on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 1:30 p.m.
Activity Details
Evening at the Movies, on Sept. 23, features “The Thin Man,” based on the book by the same title by Dashiell Hammett. This viewing stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and begins promptly at 6 p.m.
Jewelry Making class, on Sept. 24, enables participants to make their own piece of jewelry. Pre-registration and $10 materials fee are due. The poster on the entrance bulletin board highlights examples of what’s possible in the class.
Weeds
The rains have contributed to active growth on the library grounds, particularly a few spots in the landscape where weeds have a marvelous time. If you can devote an hour sometime in the next few weeks to assisting in pulling some of these weeds, please see me and we’ll choose a particular place in the landscape.
Construction Fund
Donations to the Construction Fund are welcome and for those who’ve added to the donation box near the model of the expanded library, thank you for your kindness. Checks may be payable to the Beach Library Construction Fund.
So many little and big projects are possible because of the kindness of people. Near the model of the new construction is a stand with lots of donation ideas. The left side deals with gifts under $500 and the right side those donations over $500.
Munro
Canadian writer Alice Munro is regarded as one of our greatest contemporary writers. What is inviting for some is that her works seems to utilize the format of short stories. One short story will often encourage the reader to move to the next one. It is the mark of her style for characters to experience a revelation that sheds light on, and gives meaning to, events.
Try “The View from Castle Rock” and “Selected Stories,” or “Runaway” and “Open Secrets,” or “Hateship, friendship, courtship, lovership, marriage,” all found in fiction under MUN).
If you are unfamiliar with Munro, at least try a few chapters in any of these works. Munro can not only describe events with great clarity but gives details great precision.
Hours of Enjoyment
We have enjoyed the summer months of June, July and August. It’s been gratifying to see the increased number of residents who are using the library. We track the usage so it’s easy to say, for example, that the number of users was up 12 percent in August, up 5 percent in July and up 4.5 percent in June.
Most interestingly, a study called “Terms of Enjoyment” explored a new, more comprehensive measure of library performance, involving not simply the number of people who are using the library and the number of items being checked out, but “hours of patron enjoyment” experienced by library users. That would be a fascinating measure, and would say a lot about the myriad uses and purposes that library users find for their time spent in the library.
Book Discussion
The Book Discussion group meets each month on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. A variety of titles make their way across the minds and laps of participants as the year progresses. Book discussions offer opportunities for readers to connect with one another in meaningful ways and, in the process, learn more about their neighbors.
A special benefit is to experience a variety of gems that one would otherwise not even be aware of, e.g., each member of the group is encouraged to read the entire book under consideration. Sometimes, a book starts out slow or one doesn’t really understand the scope of the author until quite late in the book. It’s almost like making an evaluation of a person from meeting them once. Each of us is more delicate, interesting, boring, and mysterious than what can be learned in one encounter. The same is true for a book. One really needs to know the entire book to fully appreciate, or not, what is being shared.
Another benefit of the discussion is one comes to recognize so much more in the story than was realized through one’s personal reading of it. Discoveries, and at times amazement, that one could read so well and still miss various points in the story development. You’ll find the Beach Library group lively and talented individuals who bring a wide variety of life experience to their critique and enjoyment (or not) of the various works being explored.
Marsha, who lovingly moderates the group, seeks to choose titles that are compulsively discussable. Whether one likes the book is of lesser importance than the discussion it can generate. She looks for a book that readers can take seriously and even better, that it will stand the test of time. Not every book need be one that everyone agrees upon and suggestions from group members offer a heightened chance that selections are both inspirational and well worth time spent.
The list of upcoming books is posted. Browse it over and let yourself add this discussion to your repertoire of skills and enjoyment.
Library Hours
Don’t remember library hours? Call for information. When we are closed, a recorder gives the hours of operation, either on 765-8162 or on 765-8163. Except for holidays, which would be mentioned on the recorder, we are open Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.