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A Call to Artists

The Chelmsford Library, the Chelmsford Cultural Council and The Art Room of Chelmsford is sponsoring a juried art exhibition.

As a part of this year's One Book Chelmsford, the artwork should be inspired by Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea. The exhibit will be on display in the Chelmsford Library during the month of May. The prizes will be gift certificates to the Art Room in Chelmsford:

• Adult category: First place $75; Second place $40
• Youth category: First place $60; Second place $25

Artwork must be submitted by April 20th, 2009. Check the One Book Art page for more guidelines, important dates, and an entry form.

For additional information, or if you have questions, please contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109.

One Book Chelmsford Events

One Book Chelmsford Three Cups of Tea co-author Greg Mortenson visited Chelmsford this past Sunday, and spoke to a large crowd about his book and work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If you missed the amazing talk at Chelmsford’s Performing Arts Center, you still have a opportunities to catch it:

• DVD copies are available in the library's catalog
• The program will be re-broadcast on Chelmsford Cable TV Channel 8 at the following times:
  • Thursday, Feb 12, at 10:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb 14, at 10:30 a.m.
  • Thursday, Feb 19, at 10:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb 21, at 10:30 a.m.

(You should confirm by visiting the Chelmsford Telemedia website)

Have you read the book yet?

Additional copies of Three Cups of Tea are available at the Library. Also available are the young reader and picture book versions of the book, as well as the book on CD and playaway mp3 player.

Upcoming One Book Chelmsford Programs:

Book Discussions on Three Cups of Tea at the library

• Monday, March 2nd at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 18th at 10 a.m.

Films and Discussions

• "Kite Runner” will be shown on Thursday, Feb 19, at 7 p.m. Discussion to follow
• "View from a Grain of Sand," will be shown on Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. Discussion to follow

Barakat Working in Central Asia
Thursday, March 12, 2009, at 7 p.m.
Damon Luloff, Executive Director of Barakat will talk about the work his organization is doing in Central Asia.

Chelmsford Volunteer Fair
Saturday, March 21, 2009; 10 a.m. - noon
Come to Chelmsford's Volunteer Fair learn about organizations that offer you a myriad of ways to give back to your community and make the world a better place. A rep from Barakat will be available to speak with you about their volunteer opportunities.

Climbing K2
Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Chuck Boyd, owner and operator of Vertical Realms, LLC, will talk about his adventures climbing K2.

The Many Facets of Islam
Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 7 p.m.
The Many Facets of Islam by Subheen Razzaqui, speaker for the Harvard Outreach Center for Middle Eastern Studies and history teacher at Newton North High School, discusses the history and basic tenets of Islam, and similarities and differences among Muslim groups in the U.S.

Exhibit of artwork inspired by Three Cups of Tea (A CALL TO ARTISTS)
May 4 - May 30, 2009
Artists are invited to submit samples of their work for a special “Three Cups of Tea” Juried Exhibition this May at the Chelmsford Library. All media: paintings, graphics, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, digital art, printmaking and three-dimensional art. Artwork may be submitted into one of two categories -Adult (over 18) and Youth (middle school age to 18).

Artwork must reflect the title or themes of the “One Book Chelmsford” 2009 book selection, “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Please visit the Chelmsford Library to get a copy of the book. You may want to review some of the book’s chapter quotes (such as the one listed below). They may offer inspiration for creating your individual work.

Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything–even die.
-Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

More details on this Call to Artists on the library website.

Three Cups of Tea Resources

One Book Chelmsford brochure [pdf]

One Book Chelmsford 2009 Announced

All the votes have been counted, and Chelmsford's One Book for 2009 is:

Three Cups of Tea,
by Greg Mortenson
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones' campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia. Inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers, the author is building schools to provide a balanced education in an isolated and dangerous region.

One Book events and information will be available soon, and copies of Three Cups of Tea are available through the library's catalog. Also, here are some online resources to get Chelmsford ready to read our One Book 2009:

• Official Three Cups of Tea website
• Author Greg Mortenson's website
• Wikipedia article on Three Cups of Tea
• Reviews: BookBrowse.com, LibraryThing.com

Thank you to everyone who voted! Keep checking our One Book webpage for information on One Book Chelmsford 2009.

Update: Exciting news! Greg Mortenson is coming to Chelmsford on Sunday, February 8th, as part of his book tour for his two children's books based on Three Cups of Tea. Visit the One Book webpage for more information.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 4th

Don't forget that election day this year is Tuesday, November 4th.

To find out exactly what will be on your ballot, the MA Secretary of State - Elections Division has created a Ballot Information webpage - just enter your street address, and it will produce the ballot options you will see on Tuesday.

Their form will also provide your voting location, based on your address. The Town of Chelmsford also has precinct listings and polling locations available on the Town's Voter Information webpage.

Another new website this year is http://www.imagineelection.com, which also lists ballot information by street address. By reviewing your choices, you can research the candidates and issues before election day, so your vote can really speak for your preferences.

To find information on the candidates and issues, here are a few web resources that should help:

Election/Voting Resources:

• Review of MA Questions 1, 2 and 3, on the library's blog
• Voter Information Guide, from the Elections Division
• America.gov: Guide to the 2008 Elections
• U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: 2008 Election & Electoral College Information
• Project Vote Smart
• BBC News: How American Elections Work

Campaign Monitoring:

• Federal Election Commission: Presidential Campaign Finance
• The Annenberg Center: FactCheck.org
• The Huffington Post: FundRace 2008
• Bi-partisan Online Community: PoliticalBase.com
• OpenSecrets.org: 2008 Presidential Election

And Don't Forget:
Nov. 4th is also the day to vote for your choice of One Book Chelmsford 2009 - the three candidates are listed on the One Book Chelmsford webpage, which is also where you'll be able to vote online on Nov. 4th. be sure to cast your vote to pick the One Book all of Chelmsford will read in 2009 - and check back on Nov. 5th for the winner!

What Book Changed Your Life?

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.

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