Vol. 9; No. 31 August 30, 2007

OFF THE SHELF
A WEEKLY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
Vol. 9; No. 31 August 30, 2007


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.”
Doug Larson



CELEBRATING THE WORKER
It’s the last holiday of summer. It’s time to leave work behind and hold one last backyard barbecue, head north for a last camping trip, or spend one last beautiful day at the beach. For most people, Labor Day is simply the last long weekend before Thanksgiving. For union members, however, it is a century-old celebration of the contributions that their members—carpenters, electricians, autoworkers, teachers, nurses, truck drivers and many others—have made toward building modern America. In 1894 President Grover Cleveland created Labor Day by signing federal legislation declaring the first Monday in September a national holiday.

Read More:
Commonwealth of Toil: Chapters in the History of Massachusetts Workers and Their Unions by Tom Juravich, William F. Hartford, James R. Green. (1996) 331.88 JUR

From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A Short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States by Priscilla Murolo and A.B. Chitty. (2001) 331.0973 MUR

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck FICTION (1939). The library also owns this classic in video, DVD, and audio format.

The Library will be closed on Saturday, September 1 through Monday, September 3 in honor of America’s working men and women.



BALLPARKS AND ARENAS
September is the time when playoff spots are won and lost. We celebrate the world of baseball this month by presenting a special baseball theme for this month’s Coffee and More Program. On Tuesday, September, 11, Alan Foulds will tell the story of Boston baseball since 1871, through the stadiums and arenas where the teams played. Mr. Foulds, who is well known to Reading residents as our Town Meeting Moderator, is also the author of Boston’s Ballparks and Arenas, which has been described as “an entertaining look at the roots of New England's sports mania." (Publishers Weekly) Please join us for coffee, refreshments, and lots of sports talk, history, tidbits, and trivia. The program begins at 10:00 a.m. and all are welcome!

Coffee and More is funded through a federal LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant, administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.



LIVEWIRES PRESENTS: BIRDWALK WITH DAVE WILLIAMS …AND DINNER!
On Tuesday evening, September 25, Live Wires Presents a bird walk with Dave Williams followed by a potluck dinner. People wishing to participate in the bird walk should meet at the Library at 5:30 p.m. to car pool to a local, easy walking destination. Then join everyone back at the Library for the Pot Luck!

Bring a dish to share! We would like everyone who is planning to attend the dinner to let us know ahead of time what they are planning to bring. There are “potluck sign up” sheets on the LiveWires book display (near the stairs on the first floor) or you can call either Elizabeth or Nancy at 781-944-0840. We hope this will be a fun way to end the first year of our LiveWires series. Over dinner, we will discuss where LiveWires is going in the year ahead.

LiveWires is the Library’s program for people age 55 and up, but you don’t have to be a “boomer or beyond” to attend. This event, like all library programs, is free and open to all.



LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD VOLUNTEERS
Get involved in the fun! Bibliobabblers, the Library’s adult book discussion group, is looking for a few new leaders for the upcoming season. Do you love to read and talk about books? Being a book discussion group leader really is fun, and easier than you think! All you need to do is call Librarian Kathy Miksis at 781-944-0840! Kathy will help you choose a title (or you can choose a book YOU want to talk about!) and will also provide help in developing some great discussion questions. Bibliobabblers needs YOU! Call today!



FLIP FLOP WINNER
Summer reading is officially over, so it’s time to announce the winner of this year’s Adult Summer Reading Contest. Congratulations to Marie Fratto! She is the winner of a $50 gift card to DSW Shoe Warehouse. Thanks to everyone who participated… for making this such a fun summer at the flop house!



BE A FRIEND!
The first meeting of the Friends of the Library will be held on Monday, September 10th at 7:30 in the Library Conference Room. All library supporters are welcome! We hope to see lots of old and NEW friends there. Wouldn't now be a great time to join the Friends? For information about how to join the Friends, go to

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


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.

Wednesday, September 5: Mother Goose Lapsit. Storytime for children under 2 and their caretakers! Register for a 4 week session at the Children's Room Desk. Call 781-942-6705 for information. Sessions at 9:30 or 10:15 a.m.

Friday, September 7: 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.

Monday, September 10: Monthly Book Delivery to Peter Sanborn Place. 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Monday, September 10: Friends of the Library Meeting. All are welcome to attend the first meeting of the season. Come and get involved in new activities that support the Library! 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 11: Live Wires: Coffee and More. Grab a cup of coffee and let's talk! Featured speaker for today is Alan Foulds, author of Boston's Ballparks and Arenas. Alan will present a sports history of Boston as told through its ballparks and fields. This program is free and open to all. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, September 12: Mother Goose Lapsit. Storytime for children under 2 and their caretakers! Register for a 4 week session at the Children's Room Desk. Call 781 942-6705 for information. Sessions at 9:30 or 10:15 a.m.

Monday, September 17: Drop-In Storytime for 2's and 3's and their caregivers. No registration necessary 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Monday, September 17: Drop-in Storytime for ages 4 - 6. No registration necessary. 10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Tuesday, September 18: Storytime Registration for 2 Year Olds. Register for a six-week series of storytimes. Programs are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in October/November. Storytimes are for caregiver and child and run 30 minutes in length. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Children’s Room or call 781-942-6705.

Wednesday, September 19: Storytime Registration for 3 Year Olds. Register for a six-week series of storytimes. Programs are on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. in October/November. Sessions are 30 minutes in length. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Children's Room or call 781 942-6705.

Wednesday, September 19: Storytime Registration for 4 & 5 Year Olds. Register for a six-week series of storytimes. Programs are on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. or Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. in October/November.Sessions are 45 minutes in length.. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Children's Room or call 781 942-6705.

Wednesday, September 19: Mother Goose Lapsit. Storytime for children under 2 and their caretakers! Register for a 4 week session at the Children's Room Desk. Call 781 942-6705 for information. Sessions at 9:30 or 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday, September 19: Computer Class — “Geek Out, Don’t Freak Out! – Digital Cameras.” Stop by with your digital camera and the user manual for this hands-on, how-to workshop. Do you know a digital camera expert? Bring them by to share their tips! Pre-register at the Information Desk,via e-mail, or call 781-942-6703. 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 20: Evening Storytime Registration for 4 – 6 Year Olds. Register for a six-week series of storytimes.Programs are on Thursday evenings from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. in October/November. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Children's Room or call 781 942-6705.

Thursday, September 20: The Not-Too-Stuffy Book Group for Seniors meets to discuss The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant. Led by Ron O’Keefe. Copies of the book will be available at the Senior Center Book Nook or at the Library. 1:00 p.m. at the Senior Center Lounge

Thursday, September 20: An Evening with Liora Kasten. Liora will share her experiences as Director of the American Anti-Slavery Group and co-editor of Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery. This event is sponsored by the LINKS: Online @ the Library Grant. 7:00 p.m.




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. - 9 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.