All posts by Brian Herzog
Discover’s Snow Facts
In the January 2008 issue of Discover magazine, Susan Kruglinski lists “20 Things You Didn’t Know About Snow.” With all the snow the Merrimack Valley has gotten lately, perhaps you can ponder a few of these facts while you’re outside shoveling:
- No two alike? …Many [snow] crystals are almost identical in their early stages of growth, and some of the fully formed ones are pretty darned similar
- A snow crystal can be 50 times as wide as it is thick
- According to Guinness World Records, the largest snowflake ever recorded was a 15-incher that besieged Fort Keogh, Montana, in 1887
- In Antarctica, the hard, flat snow reflects sound waves with incredible efficiency. Some researchers say they have heard human voices a mile away
Read the rest of the “20 Things You Didn’t Know About Snow” article at discovermagazine.com, or check out the Chelmsford Library’s copy.
Source:
Kruglinski, S. (2008, January). 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Snow. Discover, 29(1), 80.
facts, shoveling, snow, snowing
Update on MacKay Branch Renovation
The renovation project to the MacKay Branch is proceeding right on schedule.
This week, workers finished painting the walls, staining the woodwork and installing new carpeting, and library staff has begun bringing furniture back in. The new book shelves are scheduled to be delivered and installed next week, and once those are in, staff will begin putting all the materials back on the shelves. Also over the next two weeks, staff will be reestablishing the computer networks and terminals, the photocopier, office furniture, and library signage and artwork.
We’ve been taking pictures of the progress, and those are available online at the Library’s flickr.com account. Also available for viewing are historical pictures of the MacKay building, which were found while staff moved materials out before the renovation began.
branch, chelmsford, contruction, historical, library, ma, mackay, mass, massachusetts, north, photographs, renovation
Thanksgiving Week Library Hours
For the week of the Thanksgiving Holiday, the library has shortened hours.
| Thanksgiving Holiday Hours | |
|---|---|
| Mon: | 9:00am – 9:00pm |
| Tue: | 9:00am – 9:00pm |
| Wed: | 9:00am – 5:00pm (closing early) |
| Thu: | closed all day |
| Fri: | 9:00am – 5:30pm |
| Sat: | 9:00am – 5:30pm |
The MacKay Branch is closed until mid-December for renovations.
Thanksgiving Information:
- The History of Thanksgiving, from The History Channel
- Thanksgiving Coloring Pictures for Kids, from the Plimoth Plantation
- Thanksgiving Day Information, from Answers.com
- Thanksgiving recipes from FoodNetwork.com and AllRecipies.com
- Turkey Trivia Quiz
For information about our change in operating hours or help with our website, please contact the Reference Desk.
chelmsford, library, hours, thanksgiving, holiday
MacKay Branch Renovations
The MacKay Branch of the Chelmsford Library is getting a make-over!
Well, the first floor is, at least.
The MacKay Branch in North Chelmsford closed for business today, and between now and mid-December, will be getting new carpeting, new paint and all new bookshelves. These much-needed improvements are being funded by the MacKay Library Trust Fund, with the end goal to make the first floor of the library more modern and flexible for the variety of roles it serves.
The new carpeting and wall paint will brighten the atmosphere and make the library feel more comfortable, and the shelving is intended to make the space more functional. Many of the new bookshelves will be on wheels, so that they can be rolled into different configurations to accommodate programs such as storytime, book groups and knitting circles, as well as general browsing.
During the renovations, MacKay will be closed the the public. Some regularly scheduled programs will still be held at the main library in the Town Center, so please check the MacKay program webpage for information. Also, the main library will be open its normal hours, to help with book requests, information searches, museum passes, and anything else.
Here’s some photographs of the renovations:
| More MacKay Renovation Pictures on flickr.com
|
Be sure to mark your calendars for mid-December and come and check out the improvements when MacKay reopens!
Norman Mailer Dies, Age 84
On the morning of Saturday, November 10th, 2007, author Norman Mailer died at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, following surgery for acute renal failure.
Well-known and controversial for the past five decades, Norman Mailer won two Pulitzer Prizes; one for The Armies of the Night, concerning an anti-war march on the Pentagon in 1967, and for The Executioner’s Song, about Gary Gilmore, an executed murderer.
Born in New Jersey in 1923, Mailer lived for many years in an oceanfront home on Cape Cod, in Provincetown, MA.
More information:
- Library materials by and about Norman Mailer
- Boston Globe article about Mailer’s death and life
- WBUR news story on Mailer’s death and life (listen now [Real Audio])
- The Norman Mailer Society
chelmsford library, norman mailer, obituary
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
Did You Feel It?
Some area residents were woken up early Friday morning by their houses shaking. But it wasn’t the furnace or a fallen tree – it was an earthquake.
The tremor, occurring at 1:30 a.m., measured 2.5 on the Richter Scale, with the epicenter under the Littleton Town Common.
For more information on the earthquake, visit the US Geological Survey’s details page, or read a story from Boston’s NewsCenter 5. You can also report your experience to the USGS’ “Did You Feel It?” project.
chelmsford, earthquake
Doris Lessing wins 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature
Earlier this week, Doris Lessing was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature.
The Swedish Academy chose her because they felt she was the writer who was “that epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny.”
Some of her novels include The Golden Notebook, The Good Terrorist, and her latest novel, The Cleft. You can search our catalog for more of her works.
More information about this award is available in a New York Times article, an AP Story, and the Nobel Prize website. More information on the author herself can be found on the official Doris Lessing website and in the NoveList database.
doris lessing, nobel prize, nobel prize for literature, 2007, chelmsford library, chelmsford public library
Children’s Room Mural Unveiled
Sunday’s reception to unveil the new mural in the Children’s Room was a huge success. 150+ people were in attendance to see the mural painted in memory of Steve Maloney.
Read the Chelmsford Independent‘s story on the day, watch their video (also below), and see photographs of the mural as it was being painted.
But above all, stop by the Children’s Room and enjoy the mural yourself!
New September Overdrive Titles
The new Overdrive titles have been added for September. They should appear under new titles shortly but to view them now go to http://mvlc.lib.overdrive.com, click on “Browse all digital audio books” and then choose to sort by “Date added to the collection.” There are 34 new titles this month.
audiobooks, downloadable audio books, overdrive