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This week we talk about the fun and interesting materials you might find in a library!

People’s vision of a library tends to revolve around books and computers, and of course we have those things. But there is so much more available!

Here are links to some of the material we discuss:

• • Library Lends Kitchen Tools and Appliances
  • Nine surprising things you can find at the library
  • These Public Libraries Are for Snowshoes and Ukuleles
  • Libraries offer weird things to draw new borrowers

 

Books we are reading:

 

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott. ““Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'””

 

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs “A mysterious island.

 An abandoned orphanage.

 A strange collection of very curious photographs.

 It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.”

 

You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, by Phoebe Robinson “Being a black woman in America means contending with old prejudices and fresh absurdities every day. Comedian Phoebe Robinson has experienced her fair share over the years: she’s been unceremoniously relegated to the role of “the black friend,” as if she is somehow the authority on all things racial; she’s been questioned about her love of U2 and Billy Joel (“isn’t that . . . white people music?”); she’s been called “uppity” for having an opinion in the workplace; she’s been followed around stores by security guards; and yes, people do ask her whether they can touch her hair all. the. time. Now, she’s ready to take these topics to the page—and she’s going to make you laugh as she’s doing it. Using her trademark wit alongside pop-culture references galore, Robinson explores everything from why Lisa Bonet is “Queen. Bae. Jesus,” to breaking down the terrible nature of casting calls, to giving her less-than-traditional advice to the future female president, and demanding that the NFL clean up its act, all told in the same conversational voice that launched her podcast, 2 Dope Queens, to the top spot on iTunes. As personal as it is political, You Can’t Touch My Hair examines our cultural climate and skewers our biases with humor and heart, announcing Robinson as a writer on the rise.” (Mary’s note: I listened to the audio book, and I recommend that format; Phoebe reads it herself and is so funny!)

Casino Infernale (Secret Histories #7), by Simon R. Green “My name is Drood, Eddie Drood, aka Shaman Bond. For generations my family has protected you ordinary mortals against things that lurk in the darkness, just out of sight, but not at all out of mind. Unfortunately, I’ve had a falling-out with my near and dear (some of whom were trying to kill me), so my true love and powerful witch, Molly Metcalf, and I are now in the employ of the Department of the Uncanny. We’ve been given an Extremely Important Assignment: Attend Casino Infernale, an annual event held by the Shadow Bank, financiers of all global supernatural crime. Our mission: Rig the game and bring down the Shadow Bank. But at Casino Infernale, the stakes are high indeed—winner takes all, and losers give up their souls…”

 

 

Spotlight Library of the Week:

This week our Spotlight Library is the Chelmsford Public Library. This is a library that has a lot of great innovation in their programming and services, as well as materials!

• Some background information (scroll to the bottom of the page to get the online tour through Google Maps!)
• See some of their non-traditional materials! Could your library replicate some of this? Probably!
• They provide a full range of services, both traditional and innovative
• There are enough programs here to satisfy all community needs – but they provide info for you to give more suggestions!
• Art displays to connect with the community
• If you want to work for them, keep an eye here!

 

 

Bonus Material:

Collection Development

If your library could use a brush-up in your collection, or in your policies, here is some material for you!

• The Practical Librarian’s Guide to Collection Development
• ALA material:Collection Development
• Webinar:Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management
• The Collection Development Planning Process, by Amy Fordham
• IFLA’s Guidelines for a Collection Development Policy Using the Conspectus Model

 

Other Non-Traditional Library Materials

From the Public Library Association: (Check their website for more information!)