Check out 3-D Steeped creations at Beach Library
Upcoming Events
Preschool Story Hour on Wednesday, May 29, at 10:30 a.m. in Children’s area
Because of Memorial Day weekend, we scheduled less activities than usual.
Upcoming Activities
Wednesday, June 5 offers a chance to celebrate the glories of a cup of tea. That morning you can enjoy being served a cup of tea as you enter the library.
That evening at 6:30 p.m., beginners and experienced knitters and crocheters gather to share camaraderie and make progress on current projects while sharing hints or asking for them.
Thursday, June 6 focuses on journaling with Anna Withrow offering help in creating personal narratives.
On Wednesday, June 12, Harry “Bill” Hoffman will share the ups and downs of a writing life and talk about his own journey in this regard.
Musing
Beach resident and artist Laurie Nienhaus has long been fascinated with Victorian fashion, the era itself and its literature. One enjoys this in her latest Steeped (818.6 NTE). On page 72 of that work one finds Laurie musing about handbags, a confection she never expected to offer such delight and even name. On display on the second floor are 3-D creations which appear throughout Steeped and which are follies in the true sense of “expecting the vision to fade as quickly as it had appeared. But fade it did not.” If you have not yet viewed the follies, consider doing so over the next two weeks. There is much to discover amid the corners and shelves.
One of the Pleasures…
of summer is having the opportunity to catch up on projects and the many needed areas that library staff want to develop but season brings so much activity there is not time enough. With construction completed, we are happy to say that the “Let’s Talk” quilt that hung over the circulation desk in the previous library, and the W. Harold Hancock smiling and frowning clowns, originally in reference, have been returned to the walls.
In addition, it has been a joy to chat with residents who have returned to a more regular schedule of using the library again now that traffic is less of a concern.
Volunteers
If the coming months enable you to have a few hours each week for a community activity, consider volunteering at the library. If you have an interest in the library, are eager to help support and enhance library services or enjoy the satisfaction of helping others, complete an application to be found at the workstation on the first or second floors.
Library Usage
It continues to be a joy to experience the growing numbers who are stopping by and taking advantage of library resources. As with many things, it is often what is in one’s own backyard that tends to get overlooked. In this case, the tide looks encourages as usage of the library last month during April was up over 60 percent compared to the same month last year.
Books & Movies
This is a perfect time of year to enjoy books that are being made into movies, as the books offer a perfect introduction and provide details that often make the final edited movie more fruitful. The vibrant camera work and many period details make it a must to read The Great Gatsby (CL FIT) whose movie will star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Others to check out include World War Z (LP BRO), The Sea of Monsters (TEEN RIO), City of Bones (TEEN CLA), Robopocalypse (WIL) and Ender’s Game (CAR).
Print & Digital
Libraries have always offered a variety of formats as they are developed and grow. In a few weeks, our e-book collection will be opening and available. We are aware of interest in e-books though not so sure about their long-term prospect. While one hears that e-book sales are growing, their growth in 2012 was slower than in previous years. In addition, print book sales saw almost no decrease having had substantive decreases in previous years.
Which direction each moves is something we will continue to follow. You can count that we will continue to develop the print collection as there is so much available there that one cannot find in the digital world, and with the advent of e-books collection, we’ll also explore what might be a positive addition. E-books are considerably more expensive than print so we’ll follow the trend in digital and in print to assure that funds are most expeditiously spent.
The Old, the New
It can clearly be said that some things get better. James Salter, a West Point grad spent 12 years in the Pacific with the U.S. Air Force and did a hundred combat missions in Korea, and while enlisted wrote a novel, The Hunters. This was published in 1957 and made into a film (DVD HUN).
In a later novel, that seems as new today as it was when published, Light Years (SAL) enables the reader to reach deeply into one’s thoughts and fears. Salter does not judge or lecture, he allows the reader to decide for yourself. After you’ve enjoyed Light Years, try Last Night. And then you’ll be ready for his latest to be added to the collection in August.
Hours
A recorder gives the hours we are open if you call in at 765-8162 when we are closed. Open hours are Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.