VOL. 8 NO. 16 APRIL 20, 2006

OFF THE SHELF
A WEEKLY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
VOL. 8 NO. 16 APRIL 20, 2006


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"How simple the writing of literature would be if it were only necessary to write in another way what has been well written. It is because we have had such great writers in the past that a writer is driven far out past where he can go, out to where no one can help him."

-- Ernest Hemingway, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (1954)


MORE, BETTER, EXPRESS!
One of the Library's goals is to make it as easy as possible for you to get the books, movies and CDs you want. We know that it's frustrating to have to wait for weeks to get the latest bestseller. That's why we created "Express Books"---multiple copies of popular, current titles with a short loan period and no waiting lists. Express Books circulate free for the first three days; there is then a charge of $.25 for each additional day. These books cannot be renewed or reserved. Access to the Express Books is strictly first come-first served.

Because Reading has so many great readers, there's a lot of demand for "Express." So from now on, we'll be purchasing MORE copies of these hot titles. Come to the library and go home with a best seller! You'll find the Express Books collection directly across from the Circulation Desk.

AND... we are also introducing a new service...EXPRESS DVDS! We will be buying extra copies of our most popular DVDs, and they'll be available on the same basis as the Express Books (no reserves, no renewals, three day loan). You'll find them on the first floor on the same display as the Express Books. Check it out!


LIBRARY CLOSED FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY: APRIL 28
The Library will be closed all day on Friday, April 28 for the Library's seventh annual Staff Development Day. Staff Day is funded by the Friends of the Reading Public Library. Previous Staff Day programs have focused on such topics as improving communication, long range planning for the Library, managing change, and customer service in a multicultural world. Staff Development Day is an opportunity to bring all staff together, to provide workshop opportunities for skills development and training, and to foster a shared sense of vision, purpose, and pride. The strength of Staff Development Day is in reinforcing the many ways we all work together for the same goal: to provide the best possible library service to the people of Reading. We appreciate the support of the community in giving us this time to serve you better.


SPOTLIGHT ON DOUG WILHELM
"You never know what a big deal bullying is until it happens to you"

Chelsea Tice
Middle Schooler
From The Revealers website:
http://www.the-revealers.com/

Does bullying exist in Reading's Middle Schools? Despite a growing recognition of the seriousness of this problem, some adults rationalize or cover-up bullying. Others deny its seriousness sighting a lack of concrete evidence to warrant concern. Strangely enough, it is these attitudes that perpetuate bullying ---creating an environment where students are often too distracted to learn and where they frequently feel threatened, isolated and depressed.

Author Doug Wilhelm asked Middle School students from three schools in his home state of Vermont about their real experiences with bullying in school. From physical abuse to physiological bombardments, Wilhelm shares his findings in his latest novel,The Revealers,wherein a group of students ally themselves to "out" the dreadful reality of bullying in their school.

Mr. Wilhelm will be this year's Visiting Author,and will be in Reading on April 27-28. As in past years, the author will be visiting both Middle Schools and will also provide an evening program at the Library.This year's evening program,"Bullies," is Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the Library. This is a free program, open to all parents, teachers, librarians, and students.

The Visiting Author Program is funded through a cooperative effort of the Friends of the Reading Public Library and the Parker and Coolidge Parent-Teacher Associations. This visit is also partially funded by a grant from the Reading Cultural Council. Join our special guest, Doug Wilhelm, for a discussion of his writing on this important topic.


MORE BOOKS ABOUT BULLYING

FOR TEENS
Fat Boy Swim by Catherine Forde (2004) Teen Fiction.
Teased and abused for being grossly overweight, Jimmy, a fourteen-year-old Scottish teenager who dreams mysterious dreams and secretly aspires to become a chef, decides to turn his self-loathing life around by learning how to swim.

So You Want to Be a Wizard? by Diane Duane (1983). Teen paperback.
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.

Drowning Anna by Sue Mayfield (2002). Teen Fiction.
The novel begins with Anna's suicide attempt, and as she hangs between life and death, the events of the past unfold. This is a moving novel that accurately portrays the cruel bullying that many teenagers experience.

Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write about Bullies,Cliques,Popularity, and Jealousy by Rachel Simmons (2004). TEEN 305.2308ODD

FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying,Harassment, and Emotional Violence by James Garbarino and Ellen deLara (2002). 649.125 GAR


OLDER, ACTIVE ADULTS DAY
The aging of the baby-boomer generation and longer life expectancies are fueling growth in the number and percent of older Americans who are active, healthy and eager for community engagement. These adults are a great resource for our communities, and we hope that the Library can also be a great resource for them! The Reading Public Library, in conjunction with the Burbank YMCA, will be presenting a free information fair for people age 55 + on Thursday, May 25. This is the second year that the Reading Public Library and the Burbank YMCA, along with YMCA's nation-wide have joined together to celebrate National Active Older Adults Day.

This event will be held at the Library from 1:00- 3:30 p.m. and will feature refreshments, door prizes, and lots of great information! Are you looking for educational opportunities? New employment? Or the chance to give back through volunteerism? Come chat with representatives of a wide variety of organizations including Reading Community Singers, the YMCA,the Arthritis Foundation, VNA of Middlesex East, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and many more. Find out what's new in educational,volunteer, recreational and health information. It's fun and it's free.

For more information call Barbara Domenici at the Burbank YMCA at 781-944-9622, extension 244, or contact the Reading Public Library, 781-942-0840 and ask to speak to Librarian Nancy Aberman.


BOOKS, MOVIES, AND MORE
To see the list of library materials purchased this month, follow this link: http://www.readingpl.org/lists.html or go to the library homepage at http://www.readingpl.org and click on Book, Audio and Video Lists.


WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Poet's Corner
http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/index.html

April is National Poetry Month. Enjoy a medieval ballad or an American Indian chant, an obscure poem or a familiar rhyme by browsing this searchable website of 6700 works and 780 poets.

Here is a poem about libraries that was written by Katherine Allen, a high school student.

LIBRARY
Here, everything exists.
Here, time goes awry.
Those alien deserts slumbering,
Chinese marching forever,
Dinosaurs roaming the open land,
they go on forever.
As long as those dusty pages exist,
they go on forever.

Rows and rows of metal shelves, holding
Life and Death
White-hat books and Black-hat books.
Feel the old and comfortable leather?
Smell the smell of ancient books?
Taste the taste of funeral dust?
It's only what is captured here.
Only what is to be here for eternity.
Only what is trapped in the labyrinth of time and paper.

Everything inside is invisible, silent.
But it speaks, oh
it speaks.


THIS DAY IN HISTORY (RIP)
This feature has been appearing in Off the Shelf for over a year, and I now feel that it's time for its retirement. I am happy to have your ideas on what might replace it? Would you like more book lists and book reviews? Literary trivia contests or quizzes? A regular feature article targeted to book discussion groups, which might suggest titles, authors,and questions for discussion? Over the next few weeks I will be thinking about how to make Off the Shelf better, and would love to have your input. You can email me at RPLfeed@noblenet.org. Thanks!


WHAT'S HAPPENING @ YOUR LIBRARY!
All events listed take place at the Reading Public Library, 64 Middlesex Avenue, Reading, unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, April 20: The Not-Too-Stuffy Book Club for Seniors meets to discuss The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. Led by Deirdre Reilly. 1:00 p.m.at the Senior Center

Thursday, April 20: Spring Pajama Storytime. Celebrate the season with stories and songs! For ages 4 - 7. 30 minutes. 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 21: Infant/Toddler Sing-a-long with Peter Sheridan. No registration is necessary. Sponsored by the Friends of the Reading Public Library, Inc. 10:15 a.m.

Tuesday, April 25: Word of Mouth. Informal chat about books with Reference Librarian, Kathy Miksis, in the Conference Room. 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, April 27: Author Visit with Doug Wilhelm. Visiting Young Adult author, Doug Wilhelm will speak on "Bullies" at the library. All are welcome and refreshments will be served. 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 28: Library Closed for Staff Development Day

Saturday, April 29: Announcement of the new title for Slackers Book Club-the book club for people who don't want to be committed!


That's all for now,
Elizabeth Dickinson
Assistant Director


LIBRARY HOURS
Mondays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Fridays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


THE LAST WORD
"In the Reading Room of the New York Public Library
All sorts of souls were bent over in silence
reading the past
Or the present, or maybe it was the future,
persons
Devoted to silence, and the flowering of imagination."

Richard Eberhardt
Reading Rooms


Libraries should be public places, community centers, bustling places,filled with life and energy. We take pride in the lively and vibrant atmosphere that characterizes the Reading Public Library. But libraries also have long history as a quiet haven for those who wish to read,think, and write. Is there still a need for a space devoted to thought and silence? Are these two images of the public library incompatible? What do you think?