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Archive for January, 2008
Monday, January 28th, 2008 - by:
Brian Herzog, Head of Reference
 It’s a daunting question, but at some point in every librarian’s career they are asked it: “Tell me, what book changed your life?” There is this supposition that in every avid reader’s memory that one book stands out, exerting great influence and power over our life. But as many booklovers realize, asking us to choose one book from the myriad of books that have influenced us is like asking us to pick just one kind of cookie off of a holiday platter. There is no right or wrong answer to this daunting question. As diverse as our personalities are, so will be our list of life-changing books.
For each phase of our lives, we can identify influential books. It might be the first chapter book that we completed as a child (in my case, B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood), or the first time that the concept of good and evil rang true (A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle). For some it was in high school when the book seers got our pulse racing: On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. For others it was the fantasy and science fiction awakening in their lives: Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Watership Down by Richard Adams, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein or Ursula LeGuin’s Left Hand of Darkness. For still others it was the classics that struck us: The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, The Call of the Wild, The Sun Also Rises, Ulysses, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights - and of course To Kill a Mockingbird - the 2008 One Book reading choice for Chelmsford.
Whether it is Fitzgerald or Steinbeck, London, Hemingway or Joyce, Austen or Bronte, or even Harper Lee, we want to hear about the books that have influenced your lives. Join us on Friday, February 1st for “A Taste of the South,” the kick-off to Winterfest and to our 2nd One Book community reading project. Inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird the Chelmsford Public Library will host a community social with samplings of Southern-style food and drink, including wine and beer. Harrington Wine and Liquors will oversee the tastings, while area restaurants will provide the food.
 And in the midst of all that good food and drink we will provide time for good conversation too, (book-related, of course…). A quiet space will be set aside that evening for an intimate “book sharing” opportunity. What books have had a powerful impact on your thinking and on your life? What book do you remember best from your youth? What book do you re-read every year? Let us know! We will compile a community list to share. If you cannot attend the event, visit our online book suggestion form and you can share your thoughts with the community.
For more thoughts on books that have influenced lives, check out The Book that Changed My Life: Interviews with National Book Award Winners and Finalists, edited by Diane Osen or visit the National Book Foundation’s website at http://www.nationalbook.org/btcmlbookopinions.html to view readers’ life-changing book choices from across the country.
a taste of the south, one book, one book chelmsford, to kill a mocking bird, winterfest
Posted in Books, Column, Events, One Book, Reading Room | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 - by:
Brian Herzog, Head of Reference
 During Chelmsford’s 2008 Winterfest, the Library will be holding “A Taste of the South” as part of our One Book Chelmsford program.
A Taste of the South will feature a combination of southern foods and literature, in keeping with the setting of this year’s One Book, To Kill a Mockingbird.
The event will be on Friday, Feb. 1st (the first day of Winterfest), at 7:00pm in the Library. Area restaurants are providing foods of the South for everyone to try, and the Circulation Desk will be converted into a cash bar of beer and wine. Copies of To Kill a Mockingbird will be available, and Library staff have also pulled together a large list of other books either set in the South or written by a Southern author.
Some of the authors featured will be Maya Angelou, Truman Capote, Pat Conroy, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Fannie Flagg, Kaye Gibbons, Alex Haley, Margaret Mitchell, John Kennedy Toole, Mark Twain, Alice Walker, Tennessee Willams, and Richard Wright.
Tickets are $15, available in advance or at the door. Please visit our A Taste of the South webpage for more information, or call the library at 978-256-5521 to purchase yours.
To find out more about this year’s Chelmsford One Book program, and the other events that will be coming up this year, please visit http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/onebook.
Posted in Events, One Book | No Comments »
Friday, January 18th, 2008 - by:
Brian Herzog, Head of Reference
 The Main Library and the MacKay Branch will both be closed on Monday, Jan. 21st, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day.
The Main Library will reopen with normal hours at 9:00 am on Tuesday, Jan. 22nd, and MacKay will reopen at 10:00 am on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd.
In addition to library materials about Martin Luther King, here are some internet resources:
For more information about library hours or for help finding information on Martin Luther King, Jr., please contact the Reference Desk.
chelmsford, jr. mlk, king, library, luther, martin, public
Posted in Library Information | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 - by:
Brian Herzog, Head of Reference
 The 2008 Newbery Medal winner is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz.
In this book, a thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor. Schlitz’s elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold. Explanatory interludes add information and round out this historical and theatrical presentation.
2008 Newbery Honor Books:
- Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
In Elijah of Buxton, Elijah is the first free-born child in Buxton, a Canadian community of escaped slaves, in 1860. With masterful storytelling, vibrant humor, and poignant insight into the realities of slavery and the meaning of freedom, Curtis takes readers on a journey that transforms a “fragile” 11-year-old boy into a courageous hero
- The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
In The Wednesday Wars, seventh-grader, Holling Hoodhood, is convinced his teacher hates him. Through their Wednesday afternoon Shakespeare sessions she helps him cope with events both wildly funny and deadly serious. “To thine own self be true” is just one of the life lessons he learns.
- Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Feathers tells the story of how a new boy’s arrival in a sixth-grade classroom helps Frannie recognize the barriers that separate people, and the importance of hope as a bridge. Transcendent imagery and lyrical prose deftly capture a girl learning to navigate the world through words.
To see lists of other award winning books, school reading lists, and library staff picks, visit the Children’s Featured Books page.
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Posted in Books, Childrens, Current News, Reading Room | No Comments »
Thursday, January 10th, 2008 - by:
Brian Herzog, Head of Reference
There were two recent changes to the research databases provided by the Chelmsford Library:
New Historical Newspaper Database
 The library has just signed up with the Access NewspaperARCHIVE database, which provides access to over 2000 newspapers from all over the world. Some of the newspapers date back to the 1700s, which means this is a great resource for students and others looking for primary sources.
This database is accessible from within the library only, and patrons can browse by location, date, or newspaper title. What you’ll find are the front pages of most major and many minor newspapers, just like they appeared when they were originally published.
All of the newspapers are saved as PDF files, and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them. And like other PDFs, they can be easily printed, saved or emailed.
New Interface for NewsBank Newspapers
 The NewsBank databases (Chelmsford Independent, Lowell Sun, New York Times) have a brand new interface designed to significantly enhance the searching experience. A few of the improvements allow patrons to more easily:
- refine searches for more relevant returns
- limit searches by article word count to filter out news briefs and minor articles
- refine results and pinpoint articles by title, date, source type and geographic location
- display topic and events results over time
- print, email or cite articles with an improved toolbox
For help using either of these databases, or for questions on any of the resources offered by the Chelmsford Library, please contact the Reference Desk.
chelmsford, database, databases, historical, library, newsbank, newspaper, newspaperarchive, newspapers, papers, public
Posted in Library Information, Resources | No Comments »
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