Vol. 9 No 18 May 3, 2007

OFF THE SHELF
a weekly library newsletter
Vol. 9 No 18 May 3, 2007


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Give me books, fruit, French wine and fine weather, and a little music out of doors, played by somebody I do not know.”

John Keats
Letter to Fannie Keats, 1819


SATURDAY NIGHT
The Friends of the Reading Public Library concert series will come to a close on Saturday evening, May 5. The final concert will be presented by pianists Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro. They will be performing music of Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, and Stravinsky.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, begins at 8:00 p.m. in the Meeting Room. Please join us for an evening of wonderful music.


AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The Friends of the Library Annual House Tour is this Sunday, May 6, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Circulation Desk at $25 each, cash or check. Discounted tickets are available for Friends of the Library members ($20). Join your friends and neighbors! It's a wonderful way to celebrate spring.

I will be participating as a hostess at one of the homes, and hope to see you on Sunday!

And don't forget to enter the raffle! Stop by the historic Quannapowitt Playhouse at 55 Hopkins Street to purchase your raffle tickets and enjoy some delicious refreshments. Raffle tickets can be purchased any time during the tour, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Winners do not need to be present to win... Take a chance at winning a great prize from one of these local businesses: Chocolate Truffle, Fitness Together, Harmonious Homes, Gregory’s Florist, Lashi, many more!


BE A FRIEND!
Wouldn't now be a great time to join the Friends? In addition to supporting the Library, you can take advantage of the special house tour ticket price for Friends members. For information about how to join the Friends, go to http://www.readingpl.org/membership.html



GET INVOLVED!
Attention teens! Get your applications in to be considered for this summer’s Volunteen program. Students entering sixth grade and above are eligible to apply. Volunteens are students who assist the Library with the summer reading programs in the Teen Spot and in the Children's Room.

Helping out at your Library is a valuable service to the community, but it also gives you something that looks great on a resume: work experience! All Library Volunteens learn to work with professional people in a real-world environment - doing different jobs, following instructions, showing positive attitudes, and more!

To be a Volunteen, a student must be willing to work a minimum of ten hours during the summer. Students will work the same two-hour shift each week, and may choose to work in either the Teen Spot or in the Children's Room. In addition to helping with the Summer Reading programs, duties may include shelving books, word processing, photocopying, filing, creating decorations, and helping with activities and events. All participants will be invited to an end-of-the-summer pizza party and will receive certificates of appreciation.

Applications are available at the Library. The deadline for applying is Saturday, May 12, at 5:00 p.m. Enrollment is limited for this extremely popular program.


THE CHICKS HAVE FLOWN
Our next LiveWires Presents program will be held on Tuesday evening, May 15. We will be featuring a discussion of the novel, Second Honeymoon by Joanna Trollope. This wonderful novel has been described as “utterly absorbing, constantly surprising, and often extremely funny.”

Second Honeymoon is Joanna Trollope's thirteenth novel, and like all of the others, it is a really good read. This time she takes as her topic a tender and funny exploration of the “empty nest syndrome” and the agendas and issues of marriage at mid-life.

At the center of the novel are Edie and Russell. who have spent almost all of their married life together bringing up their three children - Matthew, Rosa and Ben. Now, finally, their youngest has left home to move in with his girlfriend. However, Edie and Russell each have very different attitudes towards this new phase of their lives. Edie mourns the leaving of her children so much that she actually feels like she has lost her identity and purpose in life. Russell (who also loves his children dearly) is inclined to treat their departure more philosophically, as part of the natural order of things. Relishing his new freedom from the daily demands of parenthood, Russell entertains fantasies that Edie will suddenly turn into a more attentive and ..er… romantically inclined wife.

In the meantime, things are not going that well for their children. Battered by the struggles of young adulthood, one by one they return to the family home, to the initial joy of Edie and the consternation of Russell. But strangely enough, suddenly being descended on for the second time around, doesn't exactly work out as expected. ..

The charm of the novel is author Joanna Trollope's insightful portrayal of a kind, loving and eccentric family as they navigate the unsteady waters of love, family loyalty, duty and change. Second Honeymoon is an absorbing, beautifully balanced study of 21st-century parenthood and the difficulties of letting your loved ones go.

Books and films in the LiveWires Presents series are especially chosen to be relevant to people age 55 and up, and provide an opportunity for reflection, discussion and sharing. The discussion of Second Honeymoon will be facilitated by Mary McDonough, Social Work Chief at Beth Israel Hospital. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. and refreshments will be served. I hope you will join us!


MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The Reading Public Library Foundation invites you to this spring’s premier literary and social event…. The Helen Nigro Speaker series which will be held on Friday evening, May 18.

The featured speaker will be Nathaniel Philbrick, bestselling author and lecturer, who will speak about his book Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War published by Viking in 2006. Nathaniel Philbrick reveals in his spellbinding book the true story of the Pilgrims as much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a fifty-five-year epic that is at once “tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound.”

Here are a few excerpts from reviews of The Mayflower:
“Impeccably researched and expertly rendered, Philbrick’s account brings the Plymouth Colony and its leaders alive, ... For Philbrick, this is yet another award-worthy story of survival.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Philbrick celebrates the courage, resourcefulness and determination of many of the settlers, most notably William Bradford and the remarkable warrior Benjamin Church; he acknowledges and describes in detail the many ways in which Pilgrims and Indians cooperated, in some cases to their mutual advance.” (Washington Post)

“A harrowing account of survival and, despite its grim themes, a celebration of courage.”

Nathaniel Philbrick is the author of numerous award-winning books including In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (2000) which received much acclaim and won the 2000 National Book Award for Non-Fiction. It brings to life the 19th century whaling industry and the story of the boisterous sperm whale which inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.

Don’t miss this outstanding event! Tickets are on sale now at the Library’s Circulation Desk. The price is $10.00 for adults, and $5.00 for students.


WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
New England Waterfalls
For me, this brief poem captures the magic and beauty of waterfalls:

Waterfall Wonder by Gloria Buono 2006

“spray clouds roar beauty
cascades pull all emotions
wonder lost in space.”

Here’s a website will help you to find places to enjoy that same magic.
http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/

More than 200 waterfalls are pictured and described according to location, type, height, water source, trail length and approximate hiking time. Each waterfall also receives a rating for beauty. Additional features: information on when to visit, where to find swimming holes and tips on waterfall photography.

People are naturally drawn to waterfalls because of their inspiring beauty, their restorative power, their combination of light, movement, and sound. Why not make it a spring or summer project to seek out at least one of these New England waterfalls?


NEW BOOKS, MOVIES, AND MORE
To see the list of library materials purchased this month, follow this link: http://www.readingpl.org/lists.html



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

Friday, May 4: Infant Toddler Sing-along. with Peter Sheridan. No registration necessary. Sponsored by the Friends of the Reading Public Library. 10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Saturday, May 5: Friends of the Reading Public Library Concert Series. Join us for an evening of piano music with duo Diana Shapiro and Stanislava Varshavsky performing music of Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, and Stravinsky. Concerts are free of charge and open to the public. 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 6: Friends House Tour. This year, the Friends House Tour will feature seven beautiful homes, and the historic Quannapowitt Playhouse. Tickets are on sale at the Circulation Desk at $25 each, cash or check. Discounted tickets are available for Friends of the Library members ($20). All checks should be made out to the Friends of the Reading Public Library.
Tickets will be available on the day of the Tour at house #5, 6 Virginia Road. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Monday, May 7: Monthly Book Delivery to Peter Sanborn Place. 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8: Bibliobabblers (Adult Book Discussion Group) meets to discuss The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls. Led by Karyn Storti. Copies of this book are available at the Circulation Desk. All are welcome and no registration is necessary 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 9: Computer Spring Cleaning Part 1. In this first of two sessions, we’ll cover basic computer cleanup maintenance, as well as ways to keep things like viruses from mucking things up. Pre-register at the Information Desk, via e-mail, or call 781-942-6703. 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 10: Conversation Group for English Learners. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Friday, May 11: Registration Deadline for LiveWires AARP Driving Refresher Course. This free CLASSROOM safety course will be held in the meeting room and is designed for people aged 50+. (The usual $10 per person fee will be paid by the LiveWires grant.) Part I will be held on June 9 and Part II on June 16, each from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Please register in person, online from the library calendar, or call 781-942-6703

Saturday, May 12: Chess for Kids. Bring a chess set. An experienced high school chess player will be on hand to answer questions and suggest strategies. No registration necessary. For grades 2 and up. 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12: Deadline for Volunteen Applications. See May 1 for details. All applications must be returned by 5:00 p.m.


That’s all for now,
Elizabeth


Library Hours
Mondays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wednesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Please drop us a line at rplfeed@noblenet.org to let us know what you think.Visit the RPL website at http://www.readingpl.org