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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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Celebrate Winterfest with "A Taste of the South"

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.

Richard Russo is coming to Chelmsford!

On Monday, Nov. 5th, Richard Russo will be reading from his new book, Bridge of Sighs, and answering questions about his other books, including Chelmsford's One Book, Empire Falls. Following the reading and Q&A session, Richard Russo will be available for book signings.

Due to an overwhelming response, there has been a change in venue and time!

The program will now be held at the McCarthy Middle School auditorium, at 7:30pm. The auditorium holds almost 600 people, so seating shouldn't be an issue, even if you don't already have a ticket.

For more information, see our Richard Russo web page, or contact the Library.

book signing, bridge of sighs, chelmsford library, empire falls, richard russo