VOL. 9 NO. 20. MAY 17, 2007

OFF THE SHELF
A WEEKLY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
VOL. 9 NO. 20. MAY 17, 2007


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I am glad my ancestors arrived on the Mayflower, but I am gladder that there are nine generations between us.”

William Lyon Phelps
American author, 1865-1943


DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY?
AUTHOR NATHANIEL PHILBRICK TELLS YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
PARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL, FRIDAY, MAY 18 at 7:30 P.M.

Nathaniel Philbrick has been fascinated by the history around New England's Nantucket Island since moving there 20 years ago. That fascination eventually led him back to the Pilgrims, whose history he thought he already knew. Like generations of American schoolchildren before him, he had grown up learning how the Pilgrims arrived in the New World on the Mayflower in 1620, and a year later celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving with the Indians. "The more I got into it," Philbrick says, "the more I realized, SO much more happened. … it became clear that there was a much more complex, interesting and important story to tell.”

As part of his research for Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick travelled the path of the Pilgrims from England to Holland to the New World. He also studied first person accounts from the time---accounts that put a human face on the 102 passengers who reached what is now known as Provincetown Harbor in November of 1620. Already weakened by a horrific two-month voyage, they arrived just as winter was about to begin. They were greeted, in the words of their future governor, William Bradford, by a "hideous and desolate wilderness."

"Their first impressions were of sheer terror," Philbrick says. In addition to the terrible physical challenges that their new life would present, the Pilgrims were beset by rivalries and tensions with those they called the Strangers, the secular settlers who accompanied them on the Mayflower. There were also early conflicts with the Indians in the region, until the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, set out to forge an alliance with the newcomers.

Even with the help of the Indians, half the English settlers died that first winter. The survivors observed their first anniversary in the New World with a feast of Thanksgiving, but not quite the feast of popular American myth. The Pilgrims were outnumbered two to one by the Indians, who showed up in great numbers with five deer to add to the feast. In fact, most, if not all, of the food was most likely brought and prepared by the Indians who arrived uninvited.

As the expanding English population sought more land, the Indians who occupied it felt increasingly threatened. New sources of conflict began to arise. In 1675, Massasoit's son, Philip, launched a strike against the settlers that would come to be known as King Philip's War.

Soon all of New England was up in flames. Half the towns in the region would be burned or abandoned. This conflict was only fourteen months long, but it had a devastating impact on the region. More than 5,000 people were killed (out of a total population of 70,000) making it even bloodier than the Civil War. The English were supposedly triumphant, but it wasn't a triumph at all. By pushing the Indians too hard, they had destroyed their forefathers' way of life.

Nathaniel Philbrick brings all of this history to life in his bestselling book, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. You don’t need to be a history buff to be mesmerized by this book. It has been described as “a powerful story, powerfully told” At times, you forget whether you are reading factual history--- or a fascinating and gripping work of fiction.

The Mayflower spent 19 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. This Friday evening, Nathaniel Philbrick will speak about the REAL story of the founding of our country: it is a story that is tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound. It’s sure to be a fascinating evening. So don’t miss it!

Please note that the program will take place at the Parker Middle School. This very special event is sponsored by the Helen Nigro Speaker Series and the Reading Public Library Foundation. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the program begins at 7:30.

Tickets are on sale now at the Library and will be available at the door. The price is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for students. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Library's endowment fund. Mr. Philbrick's books will be available for purchase at the event, and a book signing will follow


SPECIAL THANKS
There will be a short program before the start of Mr. Philbrick’s talk on Friday evening to honor Reading resident Elia Marnik for her many years of service to Massachusetts libraries. Elia recently completed her service on the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Elia served as a Reading Public Library trustee from 1977-1996, and was chairman of the Trustees at the time the Library relocated to its current home on Middlesex Avenue. She also served as a Director of the RPL Foundation at the time of its formation in 1996 and has served as an active Foundation member.

In 1994 Elia was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners by Governor William Weld. While on the Board, Elia was a tireless advocate for libraries, traveling throughout the state to speak at groundbreakings, dedications and other library events, as well as working on important initiatives, such as the Strategic Plan for the Future of Libraries. She has been an outstanding supporter of libraries for over thirty years, and we think it’s time to thank her!


LIVEWIRES: COFFEE AND MORE
TEACH/ LEARN/ TRAVEL!
Grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk! Coffee and More, the LiveWires morning program for people age 55 and up, provides coffee, books, the chance to get together and chat, and the opportunity to enjoy special guest speakers. This month’s special guest is Barbara Campagna who will discuss lifelong learning opportunities through Elderhostel.

According to their website, “Elderhostel provides more than 8,000 learning adventures in all 50 states and more than 90 countries abroad. Elderhostel offers in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning experiences for almost every interest and ability. History, culture, nature, music, outdoor activities such as walking and biking, individual skills, crafts, study cruises and more.” For more information, check out their website at http://www.elderhostel.org/

This fun and educational program will take place on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 and will begin at 10:00 a.m. So if you‘re a Livewire, mark your calendar today!


TECH TIP: COMPUTERS NEED SPRING CLEANING, TOO
by Andrea Mercado, Reference & Techie Librarian

Last night, I taught a class on Computer Spring Cleaning which presented an overview of the bare basics of maintenance for the average user. Part of good maintenance on a computer is keeping things tidy. Much like running cooling system flushes and changing the oil on your car, performing regular clean-up maintenance on your computer keeps it running in tip-top shape.

Once you have your computer all sorts of tidy, you want to keep it that way by protecting it from bad data files. The same way you might install a security system on your house to keep out burglars, there are simple (and free) options for keeping bad things from the Internet from causing problems with your newly neat and tidy hard drive.

If you missed last night's class, or if you just want to review a digital version of the slides with links you can click on for more information, you can view the slides online by going to:

http://www.slideshare.net/andreamercado/computer-spring-cleaning-part-1/

The second part of the Computer Spring Cleaning class will be presented on Wednesday, May 30 from 7:30-9pm, and will cover backing up your computer files to protect your information and provide a virtual external storage locker for stuff you don't use often.

You are more than welcome to attend part two, even if you did not attend part one. To register, visit the Computer Classes section of the library site at:

http://www.readingpl.org/referencequestion.html#classes

If you have any questions about the presentation, feel free to contact me at mercado@noblenet.org. Happy cleaning!


NEW BOOKS, MOVIES, AND MORE
To see the list of library materials purchased this month, follow this link:

http://www.readingpl.org/lists.html


WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: EONS
My Space for the Boomer set? Check it out!
http://www.eons.com

This site provides more than 800 affinity groups, with interests that include such topics as gardening, digital photography, and antiquing. Going to Italy? Want to lose weight? Find people who share your interests!


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

Thursday, May 17: Conversation Group for English Learners. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Friday, May 18: 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.

Tuesday, May 22: LiveWires: Coffee and More. Grab a cup of coffee and let's talk! Please join us for a casual cup of coffee, some great conversation, and the opportunity to learn about new books and other resources that the Library has purchased especially for active older adults. Featured speaker is Barbara Campagna from ELDERHOSTEL who will present a video and talk about lifelong learning opportunities through that program. 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 24: Conversation Group for English Learners. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, May 26 through Monday, May 28: Library Closed for Memorial Day Weekend

Tuesday, May 29: Word of Mouth. Informal monthly discussion of what people have been reading lately 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 31: Conversation Group for English Learners. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.


That’s all for now,
Elizabeth Dickinson
Editor


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 www.readingpl.org