MPL Readers Advisory

An Environmental Classic For All Ages

2012-03-04T17:04:00.001-05:00

Grown-ups and children have been enjoying The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, for 41 years now (since it was first published in 1971). If you haven't read it yet, now's your chance. You could see the new movie if you want, but, for my money, the story is best told in a book.

The book is available in our Evergreen Indiana online catalog.

As the Lorax warned, we should heed the unless stone. If you'd like to learn how your grown-ups could help you make your own unless stone for your garden, visit this web site. The stone looks like this.

A Charming Ukrainian Folk Tale Retold

2012-03-03T22:25:00.001-05:00

The Mitten is a Ukrainian folk tale adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1989). It was one of our Library's composer's childhood favorites. How fitting that we may now incorporate his original musical composition as the soundtrack to our book trailer.

Jan Brett's illustrations are wonderfully descriptive, and the text is simultaneously expressive and compressed. The result is a tightly-told tale that moves the reader along smoothly. The ever-increasing size of the mitten's occupants makes us anxious to see what happens next, while the story's climax provides a genuine belly-laugh and the satisfaction of knowing that all's well that ends well.

Early literacy readers (i.e., preschoolers) will enjoy listening and looking at this book during read-aloud, and children in the early elementary grades will have fun reading it on their own. The drawings evoke an old-fashioned, folklore-style format that presages characters and developments. The art is fabulous.

Naturally Elemental, and Vice Versa

2012-03-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

In the world of the paranormal, you should not automatically discount others' extrasensory experiences simply because you cannot discern what is, to you, invisible but nonetheless may be existent.

Conversely, one shouldn't uncritically accept allegations that someone's awareness detects what others cannot see, hear, smell, or feel. Hallucinations occur with a variety of medical or psychological ailments. If somebody suggests that s/he, for instance, can sense elemental beings and nature spirits, we should maintain an open mind, but we must also use our critical thinking to analyze and scrutinize whatever evidence is presented before drawing any conclusions.

Cheri Barstow claims to perceive entities from the natural world. These are the nature spirits, devas, elementals, and other beings that populate folklore from around the world. In her book, Elementally Speaking: The Nature Spirits' Guide to Their World (Trafford Publ., 2006), the author listens to what these alleged living energies have to say. Our book trailer sums up.

Is Barstow crazy? Is she actually aware of beings that are invisible to most humans? If so, is she transcribing accurately what they are communicating? You'll need to decide for yourselves about all that.

Here's a trick I use when reading "far out" nonfiction. If, after delving about a third of the way into such books, I decide that I cannot accept the reality of what's being presented, I mentally transfer the writing from nonfiction to fiction. That way, I can continue reading and enjoying the book as an exercise in creative imagination. Some nonfiction reads better as a novel.

Not that I'm suggesting that Barstow's book in unbelievable. Read it and decide for yourselves.

The world of nature spirits and elementals is no stranger to our book trailers, as you can see below. Our feline roving reporter has covered this topic before in her blog.

MPL Book Trailer #94

Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature, by Marko Pogačnik (Findhorn Press, 2nd rev. ed., 2010) (ISBN 9781844091751).

Whether or not you believe what these authors are saying, their works are interesting. They're seeing the world differently, and that, if nothing else, can be entertaining. At best, it may also be enlightening.

The Conan Doyle Few People Know

2012-02-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

Everybody knows that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Although he did not invent crime fiction, certainly he defined it for many 20th century writers who followed his example. Many people know that he was knighted (in 1902) for his service as a medical doctor during the Boer War. Perhaps you also knew that he developed the science adventure genre (different than regular science fiction) with his Professor Challenger series. Want an example? Fair enough.

You might be surprised to know that Conan Doyle was an early member of the British Society for Psychical Research and spent decades investigating psychic mediums to determine if any were genuine. After many years of skeptical, but open-minded, scientific investigation, he was compelled by overwhelming evidence to declare that there were authentic cases of spirit communication. Ultimately, he became a dedicated spiritualist.

This usually surprises Sherlock Holmes fans, who know nothing about spiritualism and are therefore quick to deprecate it or attempt to distance their favorite mystery writer from its supposed taint. But Conan Doyle was relentlessly honest and personally courageous in expressing truth as he had found it. There is no bypassing that the author considered spiritualism the new revelation--a vital truth to be disseminated throughout the globe. We know this because he entitled two of his books on the subject The New Revelation (1918) and The Vital Message (1919). Our book trailer provides a glimpse at these two non-fiction works.

For a writer primarily known for his fictional detective, adventure, and horror stories (yes, Conan Doyle wrote classic horror, too), his non-fictional writing was equally readable, entertaining, and stimulating. He championed many causes in which injustices had prevailed, solved several real-life crimes, and was a proud British nationalist. Conan Doyle wrote about all these subjects, too, to high acclaim. His spiritualist writings, however, are usually dismissed as soft-headed, while, in every other regard, he was considered a highly intelligent, scientifically-trained professional worthy of careful consideration. Such are the biases against what some characterize as zealous religious opinions.

Make no mistake: Conan Doyle was a scientific investigator, as shrewd as Sherlock Holmes in sifting clues and assessing evidence. Truth was always his measure of fact, and he was unforgiving of fraudulent impersonators, exposing false mediums as charlatans, but also championing genuine mediums as worthy of careful study and investigation.

You may not agree with Conan Doyle's arguments in The New Revelation and The Vital Message, but you should give them a fair and open-minded hearing. Sherlock Holmes would have demanded as much.

Where can you find these two books? There are free digital copies available online at the Project Gutenberg eBook website. Click here and here. A digital version (PDF format) of The Vital Message is available at my Library (see our Evergreen Indiana online catalog). The New Revelation is available in the E.I. online catalog, but it is probably a non-circulating copy (from the Indiana State Library). If you have an E.I. library card, you may try placing an online hold on the copy to see what happens.

A Matter of Vibratory Perception

2012-02-09T16:37:00.004-05:00

The universe is just energy vibrating at different speeds. For some, this seems to trivialize the universe, but I think it actually makes things much more interesting. There could be an infinite number of different universes vibrating at various rates but occupying the same space. You could have somebody (or many different vibratory somebodies) standing behind you right now and never be aware of it (or them) through your five ordinary human senses. (Go ahead; look behind you. I can wait.)

This possibility fits perfectly with accepted scientific facts. But most animals are restricted in their perceptional powers through five sensory channels. What if you had more channels to surf, so to speak? Felines, canines, and most other non-human animals already know how to access additional awarenesses, as the research of Rupert Sheldrake demonstrates. People, however, are more confined in their consciousness, so it takes considerable work to learn other perceptional mechanisms. It can be done; in fact, humans have been doing it for millenia.

There are libraries filled with books exploring consciousness expansion from various religious and philosophical viewpoints. One such work is Genuine Mediumship, or The Invisible Powers, by Swami Bhakta Vishita (Chicago, Ill. : Advanced Thought Publishing Co., 1919). The author's name was a pseudonym used by William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932), who was born in Baltimore, Maryland and later practiced law in the state bars of Pennsylvania and Illinois. Following a life-changing crisis, he discovered the New Thought movement in the late 1880s, and in the 1890s he moved to Chicago, which had become the major focal point for New Thought ideas. He explored many religious and philosophical systems, finding commonality and consensus in their descriptions of a greater reality. He published extensively under his own name as well as a battery of pseudonyms.

Many of Atkinson's books have been reprinted during the past century or more since their original publications, but it is easiest to find copies in digital archives, such as The Project Gutenberg eBook website.

What It All Means

2012-02-07T15:05:00.001-05:00

Robert Crookall (1890-1981) spent much of his professional career as a geologist. For the latter part of his life, however, he was a pioneering parapsychologist whose research anticipated that of such luminaries at Raymond A. Moody, M.D., "father" of near-death experience (NDE) research. Crookall was best known for his research into out-of-body experiences (OOBEs or OBEs), but he also wrote several books that delved into the concepts of the nature of reality, cosmic consciousness, and extended awareness. One such book was The Interpretation of Cosmic & Mystical Experiences, first published in 1969 and intermittently available since via various booksellers (e.g., Amazon.com). The book is available through interlibrary loan from various libraries, but finding a circulating copy becomes more difficult with each passing year. Fortunately, it appears that Google Books has a complete digital version of the book.

Like all of Crookall's books, it is well worth reading, if you're interested in the subject of survival of bodily death and spiritual evolution. As a scientist, Crookall demanded a rigorous level of proof to support various proposed hypotheses, and he evaluated the evidence objectively and rationally. He was open-minded, but he used the scientific method to analyze the available information. His narration of characteristics associated with expanded consciousness was highly detailed, and he identified an enormous array of pertinent case studies. Any of Crookall's books will enlighten and clearly explain difficult concepts to beginning readers, and those further along in their explorations will discover much that they did not previously know.

Does Crookall "prove" life after death in this or any of his other books? It is a matter of compelling evidence that overwhelming persuades an audience that certain conditions exist and are true. Crookall presents what he has found honestly and in as straightforward a manner as the topic permits. He maintains his rigorous standards of proof throughout. That alone makes his books worth reading. That they are also interesting and informative is gravy.

William R. Buckley, J.D.

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

Hold Fast to Your Dreams

2012-01-28T10:30:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been told you couldn't do something? Few activities in life come easily at first, and it helps to be encouraged over the early rough bits. But our instant gratification society places a premium upon immediate results, and so we are often faced with what are perceived to be insurmountable challenges, either by ourselves (and so we give up) or by others (sadly, including those instructing or evaluating us), who tell us to give it a rest. Either way, we try, we encounter obstacles (or do not achieve success straightaway), and so we move on to the next flavor of the moment.

This scenario applies to youngsters, too. Olympic and world champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi drives home this point with good humor and grace in her children's picture book, Dream Big, Little Pig! (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Juvenile Fiction/Picture Book, 2011) (ISBN 9781402252754). The illustrations by Tim Bowers capture the moods beautifully. Poppy's disappointment with the difficulties she encounters when she explores different types of personal expression, as well as the disappointment she feels when discouraged by others, are poignantly felt. Finding one's talent niche isn't easy for anyone, especially for a pot-bellied pig, but Poppy perseveres, until she ultimately triumphs in discovering her passion and skill. The plot is ably summarized in this book trailer by Janet Buckley, a librarian who volunteers at our Library. Janet is Head of Technical Services at Greenwood Public Library. The soundtrack music was written by Danny Buckley, the MPL Composer.

The book is available in our online Evergreen Indiana catalog.

Wonderful Feline Poetry

2012-01-26T17:48:00.003-05:00

Whiskers & Rhymes, by Arnold Lobel (HarperCollins, 1988) is a cat-lover's delight. Recommended for readers ages 4 and up, it is the kind of early readers' book that you youngsters will read yourselves (or your folks will read to you), and then, when you're grown-up, you will read aloud to your children, and, years later, to your grandchildren, and, even more years later still, to your great-grandchildren. It is witty, funny, engaging, and simply wonderful.

The Library's new Young Adult Librarian, Rachel Montgomery, M.L.S., has made a book trailer that will tell you all about this charming book. This book is available in our online Evergreen Indiana catalog.

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (MPL Book Trailer)

2012-01-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

The Library now has a book trailer for If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, by Laura Numeroff (Felicia Bond, illustrator). Like all of the books in this series, the story is funny and filled with surprising twists and turns. The pictures are wonderfully colorful and cute. It is a fabulous readaloud, which grown-ups will enjoy as much as preschoolers. It is also an excellent book for early readers on their own.

Just click the graphic above to play the video. The dinosaurs will make sense once you read the book.

Like Attracts Like

2012-01-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

Opposites may attract in electro-magnetism and certain other physics phenomena, but like attracts like in the world of wandering souls. Such is the premise of the novel The Keeper of the Bees, by Gene Stratton-Porter.

This was Gene Stratton-Porter's final novel, which was published posthumously in 1925. Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) probably wasn't expecting this to be her last published work, but it is a fine example of her naturalist writing, with plenty of her moral and ethical perspective infused in the text to satisfy fans. For anyone else, it is a magnificently crafted, superbly written tale of the restorative powers of the human spirit. Once again, her descriptive capabilities, which were typical of her other novels, were the distinctive feature of the story and were unsurpassed here.

Do we have the title available in our online Evergreen Indiana catalog? Naturally. (Get it? Stratton-Porter was a naturalist, so, naturally . . .)

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian

& Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

Classic Holiday Reading

2011-12-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

The Christmas Shoes, by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Secret, by Donna VanLiere

"You've Got Mail" a Century Earlier

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

Molly Make-Believe, by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott

(illustrated by Walter Tittle)

(New York: The Century Co., 1911)

(Click here for a detailed book review)

Romance Amidst Natural Beauty

2011-12-18T22:26:00.002-05:00

Cauli Le Chat, MPL feline roving reporter, has your book review for this title on her blog.

MPL's New Digital Microfilm Scanner

2011-12-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Mooresville Public Library (MPL) has a new digital microfilm scanner in the Indiana Room. To learn more about it, click here, and our Indiana Room Historian will give you the scoop. (Click here to read what the Library's feline roving reporter thinks about it all.)

Don't click here, though. (Just kidding. It's okay to click any hyperlink in this blog.)

A Trio of 'Tweens Titles (YA Too)

2011-12-14T16:53:00.004-05:00

In the old library days, fiction books for readers between preschool and preteens were all classed as "children's" or "juvenile" literature. Likewise, books for teenagers were called "teen" books (if they were separated at all from adult materials). Frequently, libraries housed teen titles in their Juvenile collections.

Nowadays, there are lots of different sub-categories for young readers, such as:

Early Literacy (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers);
Easy Reading (elementary school grades K-2)
Traditional Children's or Juvenile (ages 9-12; grades 3-6)
'Tweens (ages 10-14)
Young Adults (ages 13-18), which can be further subdivided into ages 12-15 (younger YA) and 16-18 (older YA)

There are more classifications, but this provides a glimpse of how complicated library youth services can be. Not like when I was a lad!

We have three new book trailers for novels targeted toward 'Tweens and Younger Young Adults. We hope you enjoy them and, more importantly, want to read the books after watching them.

You can read more about each book by visiting the two blogs written by my feline colleague, Cauli Le Chat, MPL Roving Reporter.

Cat's Eye View @ MPL:

Catch It @ MPL (Cauli 4 Kids):

Our New Look on YouTube

2011-12-10T13:39:00.002-05:00

We have a new look on the Library's YouTube Channel. See what you think of it.

A Harsh Day-in-the-Life

2011-12-04T23:24:00.000-05:00

I first read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander (or Aleksandr, as it is also spelled) Solzhenitsyn, when I was a college freshman. It was profoundly moving. See why in our book trailer.

Missed Victorian Christmas? We've Got You Covered

2011-12-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

If you missed the Victorian Christmas Celebration in downtown Mooresville, Indiana yesterday, you can look at some photos available in the Library's blogosphere. Click here for hyperlinks to the postings.

A Travel Video For Our Lithuanian Friend

2011-12-04T18:31:00.001-05:00

"Flat" Dovydas Balčiūnas, our visitor from Vincas Grybas Gymnasium, in Lukšiai, Lithuania, has been enjoying his time visiting the Library and attending the Victorian Christmas celebration yesterday in downtown Mooresville, Indiana.

Like "Flat" Stanley of literary fame, "Flat" Dovydas travels the world in an envelope through the mails. It is an exciting and imaginative way to see the world, and to have the world see you.

My library colleagues like to make videos for the MPL YouTube Channel, and so we decided that "Flat" Dovydas needed a video, or "promo trailer" as we call it. (We also call them "program trailers" when they promote a library program. We've got all kinds of names for our videos!)

Click to Play Video

Animals of the North Pole!

2011-12-01T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sammy the Toucan and Miss Jaymi, the MPL Early Literacy Specialists, have prepared a PSA (public service announcement) inviting you and your families to attend the Library's "Animals of the North Pole" program (courtesy of Silly Safaris) during the Victorian Christmas Celebration in downtown Mooresville, Indiana, on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

Who can resist such a cute invitation? Hope to see you Saturday!

If You Like Quirky Stories ...

2011-11-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

3 Very Quirky Tales, by Randy Attwood, is available through Amazon.com as a Kindle edition. For a detailed review, click here. To see if the Kindle e-book is available through the eIndiana Digital Consortium, click here. You will need your Evergreen Indiana library card.

Four New Children's Book Trailers

2011-11-21T15:03:00.001-05:00

We have some new book trailers since my last posting. All are children's books; the last two are for early readers. We hope you enjoy them.

Living (and Loving) in the Past

2011-11-10T17:42:00.002-05:00

Science fiction/horror author Richard Matheson once saw a portrait of late 19th/early 20th century actress Maude Adams and was struck by her forlorn expression. What secret, hidden sadness lay concealed behind her eyes? For a novelist, that's sufficient material to begin researching in earnest. The result was Bid Time Return (1975), a science fiction romance novel that combines two genres with grace and style.

The book was adapted into a movie entitled Somewhere in Time (1980), starring Jane Seymour, Christopher Reeve, Christopher Plummer, and Teresa Wright. Subsequent editions of the book appeared under the film's title.

Anyone familiar with Matheson's science fiction and horror fare will recognize his signature style, in which an ordinary person is faced with extraordinary circumstances and must adapt his or her preconceptions to face new, challenging realities. All of Matheson's primary characters must run this gauntlet, and how they survive (if, in fact, they do) tells us a great deal about ourselves as well as them.

Richard Collier searches for a way to leave the 1970s behind to travel back in time to 1896 to meet Elise McKenna, and, with any luck, have her fall in love with him. Richard had already fallen in love with her when he saw her portrait at the Hotel del Corodado, near San Diego. Tears will surely well-up in your eyes as the story unfolds. Whether these are happy or sad tears you must decide.

Death Rat!

2011-11-07T14:24:00.001-05:00

What does a recently-fired, 60-ish writer of boring academic books about Minnesota do to make ends meet? Why not write about six-foot giant rats that supposedly terrorized northern Minnesota communities a century ago? It's fiction, of course, but try telling readers and the publisher that.

So goes the tale of Mike Nelson's Death Rat! a Novel, by Michael J. Nelson. This was Nelson's first novel, but it glows with his characteristic wit and social commentary. It is filled with strange characters stumbling into unsuspected plot twists. You may find yourself laughing out loud, but that's okay. A well-written, humorous story should do that.

Mike Nelson's Death Rat! a Novel is available in the Evergreen Indiana online catalog. Check it out with your E.I. Library Card.

My colleague, Cauli Le Chat, has ventured her two cents in reviewing this book, so I'll link you there if you would like our feline roving reporter's perspective. Surely a cat would have something interesting to say about giant killer rats.

The Night in Lisbon, by Erich Maria Remarque

2011-11-03T12:01:00.001-04:00

There are boat loads of World War II adventure/suspense novels, but a few shine as living tributes to the people who suffered and endured during those terrible years when so much evil stretched across continents. Erich Maria Remarque had seen some of this evil first-hand, and his accounts of war time, for both the first and second world wars, are riveting, chilling, and realistic. Surprisingly, there are glimmers of hope and optimism, as is the case in his novel The Night in Lisbon, first published in 1962 (1964 in English). [The book is not to be confused with the movie One Night in Lisbon (1941), a "screwball" comedy starring Fred MacMurray and Madeleine Carroll.] The setting is a single night in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1942. The narrator, a refugee from the Gestapo, desperately seeks travel papers and two tickets of passage onto a ship bound for America and freedom. He encounters Schwarz, who has the necessary papers and boarding passes, which, amazingly, he will give to the narrator in exchange for one night in which to tell his story. It is a tale replete with tragedy, terror, suspense, adventure, and--most importantly--romance. If love can exist amongst so much that is sinister, then there is good reason to hope.

There Are Many Moons

2011-10-27T14:31:00.003-04:00

James Thurber became famous as a humor columnist for The New Yorker magazine, but he also wrote wonderful children's books. One of my favorites is Many Moons, first published in 1943.

Many Moons won the Caldecott Medal in 1944. The book was first illustrated by Louis Slobodkin, but in 1990 it was republished with illustrations by Marc Simont. It has been adapted into a stage play, an opera, and movies.

Grown-ups and young children (particularly those just learning to read) will enjoy Thurber's command of language and phrasing. Thurber's style is straightforward but filled with humorous observations, puns, and other silliness.

Watch our book trailer to see if you'd like to read it.

The book is available in our Evergreen Indiana catalog.

A Children's Classic to Trumpet About

2011-10-24T12:23:00.003-04:00

"Make every word tell," advised Professor William Strunk, Jr. (1869-1946) to his English students at Cornell University. His book, The Elements of Style, first published in 1918, was a standard collegiate writing guide for decades. I used it during my first year of graduate school over 30 years ago. Strunk taught students to write with economy, power, and precision. One strongly influenced student was E. B. White (1899-1985), essayist and children's book author. He was "Andy" to his friends, a nickname he was given from his freshman Cornell days (after Andrew Dickson White [1832-1918], Cornell's co-founder).

White was a staff writer at The New Yorker. He shared office space with fellow staff writer James Thurber. The magazine's founder and publisher, Harold Ross (1892-1951), wanted White and Thurber to be managing editors--the running joke around the offices was that, at one time, all of Ross' employees were saddled with this job--but both White and Thurber simply wanted to write and so tried valiantly to get fired until Ross realized that this literary duo was much too valuable to waste on management.

Many scholars have suggested that White was the premiere American essayist of the 20th century. You'll get no argument from me, although I'd rank Thurber alongside White. White used language deftly and skillfully, in ways that most of us writers can only hope to imitate.

If you have never read any of E. B. White's many essay collections and children's books, you have denied yourself literary greatness. You should immediately visit your local public library and check-out a half-dozen or so of White's works. They are quick reads because White followed Professor Strunk's creed, "Make every word tell." Nothing is surplus in White's prose; every word is meaningfully crafted. It is a genuine pleasure to read what he had to say, if for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of reading something superbly written. His content was worthwhile, too.

The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White, was first published in 1970. It was White's third children's novel, following Charlotte's Web (1952) and Stuart Little (1945). I could summarize the plot, but, frankly, it would so pale in comparison to White's sparkling words that I would rather not sully this fine story by attempting to reduce it to my descriptive capabilities. Anyway, we just made a book trailer (above) that gives a brief synopsis. For some insightful commentary, read author John Updike's book review in The New York Times (June 28, 1970). There's an online version available, but if I put the hyperlink here (actually, I've placed it below this paragraph), the N.Y. Times website requires you to log-in to see it. But you can circumvent that by simply going to Google and searching John Updike book review trumpet swan White. Your top hit should be the following, which took me straight to the actual article when I clicked it on Google. Try your luck on Google.

The Trumpet of the Swan

www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/06/lifetimes/updike-r-swan.html

If I could write like either E. B. White or James Thurber, I would be happy indeed. I will gladly settle for reading their many wonderful books, essay collections, and other stories. Many great authors make reading fun, but none more so than these two friends who goofed around together in their shared office at The New Yorker.

William R. Buckley, J.D.

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Adult Services Reference Coordinator

I'd Like a Doughnut, Too, Please

2011-10-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

If You Give a Dog a Donut, by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond (illustrator), is the latest children's picture book in the popular If You Give... series. As with the other books in the series, anything can happen, and the fun comes from pursuing the unpredictable sequence of events from one zany turn to another. Adults will enjoy reading the book to their young children, who likewise will love the beautiful and colorful illustrations and the flowing prose. It is another excellent circular romp that will hold everyone's attention until the conclusion, or the beginning, depending upon one's perspective. Like a musical round, we start where we finish, so the adventures flow seamlessly into a Möbius strip of imaginative verbal and visual imagery.

Bill Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

& Indiana Room Historian

Marketing Libraries Using Animal Spokescritters

2011-10-20T23:12:00.004-04:00

Here is an excerpt from the 2011 Indiana Library Federation (ILF) annual conference program schedule of workshops.

_____________________________________________________________________

Animal Odyssey: How Resident Pets Can Market Your Library Through Online Social Networks (1 LEU/1 PGP)

Imagine a public library in a small Hoosier town of less than 2,000 residents. The library’s local cat has his own blog that has 73,000 readers! (It’s Tober, the Thorntown [Ind.] Public Library Cat.) Library resident animals are a powerful, yet often under-utlized marketing and public relations tool, as famously demonstrated by Dewey Readmore Books, the (late) cat at Spencer (Iowa) Public Library, about whom many bestselling books have been written. Learn to use social media, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts and YouTube, to give voice to your library pets and, through their unique and humorous perspectives, promote library programs, collections and events. Give you library a global online footprint while patrons (especially kids) enjoy following the antics and insights of your library’s animanls, be they cats, birds, rabbits, other furry mammals, fish or reptiles.

Presenter(s): William R. Buckley, Mooresville Public Library; Janet E. Buckley, Greenwood Public Library

Audience: Public Librarians, School Librarians, Support Staff, Technology, Children’s Librarians, Cataloging/Reference, Library Trustees, Library Directors, Marketing/Communications

Room: Harrison C
________________________________________________________

If this sounds interesting, and you're planning to attend the 2011 ILF Conference in Fort Wayne next month, we look forward to seeing you at the workshop.

For those attending, as well as those unable to attend, we have an MS-PowerPoint slideshow (presentation file) that is downloadable from 4shared.com. Just click the hyperlink below to access the download site.

http://www.4shared.com/file/KmG4h9tf/ILF_Library_Animal_Workshop_20.html

We have downloading instructions posted to DocStoc.com, which appear embedded below.

MS-PowerPoint Slideshow Downloading Instructions to 2011 ILF Conference Workshop, "Animal Odyssey: Marketing With Library Animals"

We hope to see you at ILF in November!

Who Will Be Chosen?

2011-09-28T17:01:00.001-04:00

If you enjoy horror stories, you can't do any better than "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson. This short story shocked and appalled readers when it was first published in The New Yorker in 1948. You may read a digital version of the story as it originally appeared in the magazine, or you could read a collection of Shirley Jackson classic tales in The Lottery and Other Stories, which has been published in numerous editions, several of which are available in our Evergreen Indiana catalog.

One comment about our book trailer. It says the fictional date for the village's lottery was July 27. It was actually June 27 in the short story. Well, close enough for horseshoes and stones.

A Bizarre, Macabre Obsession

2011-09-27T11:01:00.001-04:00

There is much to see if you travel to Key West, Florida. The end of U.S. Highway 1. Ernest Hemingway's haunts. Loads of fishing boats. And the place where a German x-ray technician kept the corpse of his great love.

Karl Tänzler was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1877. He moved his family to Cuba in 1926, and then came to Zephyrhills, Florida in 1927. He left his family there and found employment as a radiologist at a U.S. Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida. By then, he had assumed the name Count Carl von Cosel.

In 1930, Maria Elena Milagro "Helen" de Hoyos (1909–1931) was brought by her mother to the Marine Hospital for examination. Elena was the daughter of a local cigar manufacturer. Von Cosel recognized her as a woman who had appeared in "visions" to him while he was still living in Germany. He fell passionately in love with her.

Elena was diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis. Von Cosel vowed to cure Elena, and he attempted several novel, but ineffectual, x-ray treatments. Ultimately, Elena passed over on October 25, 1931. Von Cosel purchased an above-ground mausoleum as Elena's last resting place. Or was it?

To discover what happened next in this macabre tale of obsessive love, read the dramatic biography, Von Cosel, by Tom Swicegood. We have a book trailer that provides a few clues.

This book is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. The author delved deeply into the media reports of the day and other accounts by the persons involved, or their relatives who were close to the scene. It will shock and appall you. But that's what true crime literature is supposed to do, right?

Although this title is not currently available in the Evergreen Indiana catalog, there are two other items specifically about this subject. Click here to take a look. Swicegood's book is available from various online booksellers, such as Amazon.com.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

Celebrate Banned Books Week 2011

2011-09-20T22:36:00.003-04:00

The Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) of the American Library Association (ALA) has kindly posted my Library's promo trailer for Banned Books Week (Sept. 24 through Oct. 1, 2011) on its new BBW website. Thank you, ALA OIF!!!!

Click here if you'd like to watch our video on the ALA OIF Banned Books Week website, or click here to watch it on the ALA OIF Banned Books Week Facebook Wall.

To celebrate Banned Books Week, we should each read a banned or challenged book to see what all the fuss is about. My Library has a "banned book" trailers playlist on its YouTube Channel. There you will find some books that have been challenged or banned from libraries.

Your freedom to choose what you read should not be taken for granted. There are always people who will exert pressure upon those in political power to exclude from schools or libraries books dealing with subjects they don't like or of which they disapprove. It is censorship, whether one spins the outcome as protective (e.g., "We must protect our children from whatever we decide we don't want them to read about because we think it's bad") or punitive (e.g., "We must censor those who wish to propagate ideas to which we do not subscribe, because our thinking is good, and theirs is bad").

Is it acceptable for parents or guardians to choose what their own children may read? There are times when this seems appropriate. May each individual adult decide what s/he reads? Certainly.

But nobody should have the right to decide for everyone else in the community what shall or shall not be permissible reading. Make your own individual choices, but allow others to do the same.

So enjoy reading what you want, when you want, and where you want. Your favorite library is a good place to start.

William R. Buckley, J.D.

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

P.S. Totalitarian states that control all information sources are a continued threat to everyone on the planet. This reminded me of George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. My Library has a book trailer that describes Orwell's masterpiece, which might help you decide if you'd like to read the book.

535 C.E.: A Truly Cataclysmic Year

2011-09-14T10:20:00.000-04:00

What happened in the year 535 C.E. that began shaping the modern world? Several intriguing theories are presented in Catastrophe: an Investigation into the Origins of the Modern World, by David Keys. This well-researched and compelling examination of the historical record explains many mysteries, such as the disappearance of the civilizations that built Teotihuacán and populated the American southwest; the crumbling of the Roman Empire; the depopulation of Europe; and the rise of Asiatic cultures.

Our patrons will find the book available in the Evergreen Indiana catalog.

Sleds Worth Their Weight in Gold

2011-09-10T17:12:00.002-04:00

When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, the country was taken by surprise. The Norwegian government knew that the Nazis would take the nation's gold reserves, which amounted to $9 million. So a daring plan was devised to secretly smuggle the gold past the occupying German forces onto a ship bound for America. Could Norwegian children and their sleds sneak the gold out of the country right under the Germans' noses?

The classic children's novel Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan, was based on a true story during the Nazi occupation of Norway during World War II. The book is recommended for young readers ages 8-10, or 9-12, depending upon the source. If you like true-life adventure, this book will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Check it out in the Evergreen Indiana catalog.

The Evils of Vivisection

2011-08-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

H. G. Wells first published his science fiction story, The Island of Dr. Moreau, in 1896. The work directly addresses the ethical issues concerning vivisection and animal experimentation, which had become hot topics in late 19th century England. Interest in the novel endures because of the power of Wells as an engaging storyteller, whose adroit mixture of science fact and fantasy paralleled the other great 19th century sci-fi pioneer, Jules Verne.

Our book trailer gives a brief glimpse at the plot.

The book is available in the Evergreen Indiana catalog.

MPL Book Trailer #114: The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

2011-08-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) and Cauli Le Chat Videos present a book trailer featuring the young adult novel "The Velvet Room," by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Happy Third Birthday, and Many More!

2011-08-25T14:53:00.002-04:00

Today in Library History: On August 25, 2008, the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library in Zionsville, Indiana, became the first library to migrate its online catalog system to the Evergreen Indiana open-source ILS (integrated library system). Seventeen libraries followed by January, 2009, including my Library (in October, 2008). Today, Evergreen Indiana (E.I.) includes a consortium of over 90 public, school, institutional, or research libraries across the state. The E.I. online catalog encompasses over 6.2 million items for 821,000 Hoosier residents.

Happy third birthday, Evergreen Indiana!

To celebrate, here are a few of our E.I. promo trailers and parody videos.

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline (Book Trailer)

2011-08-21T22:20:00.000-04:00

The Need For Speed

2011-08-18T15:58:00.002-04:00

n fstr accl jst abt evythg, Jms Glck xmns r scty's obsn wth spd.

That just plain drives me nuts. Let's start again.

In Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything (Vintage, 2000), James Gleick examines our society's obsession with speed. Every activity, it seems, must be done faster, as if saving a few seconds (or nanoseconds) is so vitally crucial in performance of daily activities. The assumption underlying this mindset is that faster is better. It prompts those of us over age 30 to wonder how humanity ever managed to survive for hundreds of thousands of years plodding along without all these supposedly time-saving gizmos Western culture considers essential to happiness and prosperity.

Our book trailer gives a relatively quick overview of the book, without unduly rushing the critical themes.

The book is available for check-out to Evergreen Indiana library cardholders.

"Hurry Sickness" may not be a medically-recognized disease (although there's probably pharmaceuticals available for its treatment), it is definitely a psychological impediment to good health and well-being. Gleick does a masterful job of presenting his thesis while managing to maintain a humorous, insightful tone. It is a most enjoyable read.

I would tell you more about the book, but I've got to hurry. There are two more blogs to post, plus other library duties await. And it all has to be completed by closing time. Yesterday.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

Exercise Your Freedom to Decide What to Read

2011-08-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

The American Library Association (ALA) has slated September 24 through October 1, 2011, as Banned Books Week. Visit the ALA website for lots of interesting information about censorship and our freedom to choose what we read.

We have a promo trailer for this year's Banned Books Week:

MPL Promo Trailer, 2011 ALA Banned Books Week

We made a video last year for the 2010 event, which you might also enjoy.

MPL Program Trailer, 2010 ALA Banned Books Week

Visit your favorite library (or libraries) to check-out challenged or banned books. You might be surprised to discover some of the works that have been challenged or banned from libraries. It is well worth exploring.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

The Consequences of a Youthful Indiscretion

2011-08-13T22:24:00.001-04:00

Young adults are the intended audience of A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. First published in 1959, the novel has been challenged or banned primarily in school libraries for its allegedly "offensive language." This is a smoke screen for the actual, underlying basis for such challenges, which are usually based upon the objectors' disagreement with political or social themes discussed in the work. Self-appointed censors have learned that objecting to a book on the basis of profanity has been a successful mechanism for silencing disagreeable authors.

I first read Knowles' classic in my high school freshman English class. I was just a year younger than the protagonist, Gene Forrester, and so it was relatively easy to relate to his insecurities and angst. The story had a profound impact upon me. Several of the secondary themes were immediately relevant--social isolation, dislocation, and the need to be accepted by one's peer group to thrive--but others were thought-provoking, too. The background of World War II created an ongoing metaphor for the Devon boys' struggles to develop a wider sense of community and a feeling of tolerance and acceptance. Most of the time, the teenage characters were content to be a close-knit, albeit exclusionary, group. Together they learned to overcome certain fears, discovering that courage and foolishness are closer kin than one might suspect.

The central themes of acceptance and forgiveness, however, held my attention throughout the novel. Gene had a dark secret, to which we are introduced at the beginning of the book when he returned to his alma mater 15 years after graduating. He visited two fear-inspiring sites--a marble staircase and a climbing tree--which begins a flashback narration in which the story unfolds. Gene must find "a separate peace" for the events that transpired when he was a Devon student.

Without giving away too much of the plot, here is a book trailer that provides a brief synopsis.

What impressed me most at age 15 was that, for the novel's characters, impulsive actions had dire consequences. Thoughtful, considered conduct, which was presumably a more mature life strategy, could avoid all manner of heartache. It wasn't the first time I'd been told as a teenager to think before acting--the old "look before you leap" philosophy--but Knowles delivered this message without preaching and, quite possibly, without intending this theme to stand out in the slightest. Certainly, the academics who have reviewed and analyzed the book have dwelt upon other ideas.

Contemporary readers might find Knowles' best-known work to be dated, because it occurs during the second world war. I think its continued relevancy comes from its social concepts. Teenagers experience the same emotions now as then. If you haven't read it, you might give it a try. You will find much to reflect upon, perhaps including yourself.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

What Do You Geek (Geek the Library Campaign)

2011-08-10T09:52:00.003-04:00

As part of the national Geek the Library campaign encouraging the public to support their libraries, we would like to know what you geek. Please let us know via comments or email.

Here is our program trailer (or is it a promo trailer?) showing a few ideas of what some of our patrons geek. The video was created by longtime MPL patron and volunteer Janet Buckley, M.L.S., head of Technical Services at Greenwood Public Library (Greenwood, Indiana). Soundtrack music was written by Danny Buckley, MPL composer.

This Doll Will Scare You Plenty

2011-08-05T14:06:00.003-04:00

Karl C. B. Muilliwey has studied paranormal phenomena for 35 years. His interest began when he read psychiatrist Raymond Moody's milestone about near-death experiences, Life After Life (1975). His first exposure to spiritualism came in a Readers' Digest excerpt of John G. Fuller's book, The Airmen Who Would Not Die (Putnam, 1st ed., 1979), which purportedly related after-death communications from the pilot of the R-101 British airship that crashed in France on its maiden voyage in 1930. Since then he has "read more books on this subject than anything else," he reported, and, over the past two decades, has actively researched various paranormal cases involving survival of bodily death. Muilliwey's first book, Haunting at Sycamore Lake (2010), received our book trailer treatment and was also excerpted in several installments appearing in this blog (beginning with this posting).

Muilliwey has another paranormal book in the works, which is featured in our book trailer below.

This work will be a more extensive collection of paranormal cases that the author has collected and investigated during the past 20 years. The lead case is one of the more creepy experiences. Muilliwey does not yet have a firm publication date, but the book is slated to appear sometime during 2012.

We are excited to present a new orchestral composition by our library composer, Danny Buckley, which is entitled "Human Doll." It was particularly appropriate for this subject matter.

If you missed our book trailer about Muilliwey's earlier book, it, too, is worth a look.

To read excerpts from Muilliwey's 2010 book, please click the following hyperlinks:

Beyond Synchronicity

2011-07-31T20:03:00.003-04:00

In college I recall reading Richard Bach's book, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, in which Donald Shimoda, a purportedly reincarnated pilot who barnstorms the countryside with the author, tells him how any question can be answered. After you have mentally formed the query, you just open a book at random, place your finger somewhere on the text (without looking, of course), and the answer would be there in the printed word. If you read Bach's novel, you probably gave it a try. I did, several times, in various circumstances, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the spiritual implications that such synchronicities supposedly delivered.

If you took much psychology in college (it was one of my undergraduate minors), you undoubtedly encountered the concept of synchronicity. Synchronistic events were well beyond coincidence; they were indicative of design or subconscious action.

But what happens when Bach's "book trick" provides highly specific answers to one's thought-out questions? Could this be communication between intelligent beings? Could an intelligence be using an author's printed words to provide meaningful answers for the questioner? Could it be the author himself, although he has been deceased for 81 years?

This is the conundrum that philosophy professor Roger Straughan explores in his book, A Study in Survival: Conan Doyle Solves the Final Problem (Winchester, UK: O-Books, 2009) (ISBN 978-1-84694-240-2). When two beloved dogs pass away, Straughan noticed that questions and concerns he had been having were strangely being "answered" as he randomly glanced at passages in one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. This happened with sufficient frequency and topical applicability that Straughan was curious to experiment further. He asked additional queries and, by selecting a Conan Doyle book at random (and opening it at random), he would discover particular answers awaiting in the first text he glanced at. Some of these works he had never before seen, and others he had read decades ago.

As strange as this sounds, Straughan felt that mere coincidence or even synchronicity was an insufficient explanation. He felt that actual communication was occurring. It is important to emphasize that Straughan, as a philosopher, is a critical, rational thinker. Although open-minded, he never accepted anything without compelling demonstrations. It took a considerable number of these episodes before Straughan was persuaded that these paranormal events represent something much more significant.

Our book trailer summarizes the basic premises.

Skeptics, of course, will reply with stock objections--fraud, cryptomnesia, self-delusion, gullibility, intellectual deficiency--but this obscures, rather than enlightens, the matter. Some critics use a priori reasoning to rapidly dispatch ideas they do not want carefully examined.

Let us address some of these concerns with Straughan and his tale. College professors have sufficient worries to risk their fragile careers upon deliberate fabrications, so we may set aside fraud as without evidentiary foundation. Likewise, professors have sufficient academic credentials to discount intellectual deficiency. Self-delusion and gullibility are possible, if the author is misleading himself and reporting his actions unreliably and incorrectly to fit a preconceived bias. Straughan seems highly analytical, rational, and, above all, cautious in his investigations, so I am willing to cut him some slack here. No less a critical thinker than he, I am willing to weigh the facts fairly.

Cryptomnesia is a more reasonable objection, although it cannot explain many instances related in the book, and it frankly would require the author to have absolute recall, unconsciously remembering every word of Conan Doyle's that he had ever read in his lifetime. More to the point, he would have to be able to pick-out, blindly and randomly, the exact phrases necessary to answer his mental questions from thousands of pages of printed materials. That's a huge stretch--even greater than Straughan's suggestion of discarnate communication--so we may as well hear him out (with an open-mind) as he relates his experiences.

Did Straughan actually communicate with the discarnate Conan Doyle? You can decide that for yourselves, if you are willing to read this book objectively and afford it a fair hearing. Even if you're not persuaded by Straughan's central thesis, you should be intrigued by what is going on. It is a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes. But, then, you needn't be psychic to know I was going to write that.

William R. Buckley, J.D.

MPL Adult Services Reference Coordinator &

Indiana Room Historian

Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series

2011-07-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

One of our library volunteers and patrons has prepared two book trailers featuring the first two titles in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series, by Miranda James.

These are fun reads for lovers of mystery fiction. We like them because they involve libraries, cataloging, and cats. We hope you enjoy them, too.

MPL Book Trailer #108: Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard & Florence Atwater

2011-07-11T19:11:00.000-04:00

Mr. Popper's Penguins, written by Richard Atwater & Florence Atwater, and illustrated by Robert Lawson, has delighted children and adults alike since it was first published in 1938. A Newbery Honor Book recipient, the story continues to stoke the imaginations of its readers. There have been many different editions over the years, utilizing several illustrators, but the original seems most charming. Our book trailer summarizes the plot.

Sometimes, the most enjoyable reads are the classics. The intended audience is ages 9-12, but it is a good read-aloud for younger children, and early young adults (ages 13-14) may revel in the humor of the family's penguin-perpetrated antics.

Book Series Trailer: The Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series, by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

2011-06-30T23:53:00.002-04:00

Greenwood Public Library (Greenwood, Indiana) and Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) team up to produce this book series trailer featuring The Southern Sewing Circle mystery series, by Elizabeth Lynn Casey. The trailer was created by Janet E. Buckley, Head of GPL Technical Services, and William R. Buckley, MPL Indiana Room Historian & Adult Services Reference Coordinator; soundtrack music by Daniel E. Buckley, MPL Composer; produced by GPL Butterfly Productions. (You may also view it on the MPL YouTube Channel.)

MPL Program Trailer #21: Cat's Eye View at MPL, a Blog by Cauli Le Chat

2011-06-19T23:54:00.001-04:00

At long last, Cauli Le Chat, MPL feline roving reporter, has her own program trailer on the Library's YouTube Channel. It's about time, we say. Enjoy it with us, won't you? The kitten is adorable.

Wanda of the Golden Dawn

2011-06-11T09:13:00.001-04:00

To help celebrate the 90th birthday of Wanda Potts, MPL Indiana Room Librarian Emeritus, we offer a poem, which we have made into a video (included on our YouTube Channel's Program Trailer playlist, among others). Here's the "video poem."

Here's the poem.

Wanda of the Golden Dawn

Happy 90th, Wanda! We hope you enjoy today's celebration at the Library to which your life's work has been devoted.

P.S. Here are Bob Hope and Shirley Ross singing "Thanks for the Memory" (1938), from the motion picture The Big Broadcast of 1938.

MPL Book Trailer #107: The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, by R. A. Dick

2011-06-05T20:29:00.000-04:00

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) presents a book trailer featuring The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1945), by R. A. Dick, a pseudonym for the Scottish novelist Josephine Aimee Campbell Leslie. The novel has been reprinted many times and was adapted into a radio play (1947), a motion picture (1947), a television play (1951), and a television series (1968-1970).

Share the Love of Reading (MPL Program Trailer #19)

2011-06-05T05:44:00.000-04:00

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

-- Buddha

Share your love of reading at your favorite libraries. Summer reading programs have begun at public libraries across the country, so there is no better time to share.

A Birthday Celebration for Mooresville's True Historical Treasure Trove

2011-06-03T10:43:00.000-04:00

Next Saturday (June 11, 2011), Wanda Potts will be celebrating her ~~90th~~ 29th birthday at a party hosted in the Community Room of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana). It is open to the public. Bring the gift of your questions for Wanda. I'll explain presently.

Some of my readers may not know (or know of) Wanda, so allow me to elaborate.

MPL Indiana Room

The MPL Indiana Room and Wanda Potts are interchangeable. Wanda was the Indiana Room Librarian from 1966 to 2002 (although a local newspaper article a decade ago said she started working in that position in 1967, but I think that's slightly off the mark). Virtually EVERYTHING contained in this collection, which is devoted to genealogy as well as state and local history, was assembled by Wanda, with the help of a few assistants and volunteers over the years. Our Library has this material entirely because of her dedication and diligence in preserving the community's historical records. Quite simply, she is the town historian par excellence. No living individual knows as much about the history of Mooresville, Indiana (and surrounding communities) as Wanda.

Wanda Potts (the 1998 Recipient of
the Mooresvillian of the Year Award)

Most of us have some detailed knowledge of our hometowns, especially when we were growing up. But can you tell me what business occupied the southwest corner of a central downtown intersection in your hometown? In 1938? 1913? 1882? 1968? Pick any date you like. Do you remember that level of detail about your hometown? Wanda does. She remembers more historical information about her hometown than most of us retain about our own lives. She is the living, breathing history of Mooresville, and that makes her an invaluable treasure. How do you know where you are if you don't recall where you've been?

Wanda as "Sweet Rosie O'Grady"

(From the 1943 Movie Starring Betty Grable)

Movie Poster (1943)

I wonder if Wanda had Lloyds of London insure her legs for a million dollars, as was done for Betty Grable's legs? I wouldn't be surprised. Those are pretty nice legs, so a library colleague tells me.

How was I able to track down these historical tidbits? You guessed it. Wanda's 3,000-plus vertical files in the Indiana Room Collection had the corroborating details. You just have to know where to look.

Wanda's birthday party will be a joyous affair, with fond recollections of the good ol' days. But we need your help! We want YOUR questions about Mooresville history--questions that only Wanda could answer--to ask her at the celebration. Email your questions to wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us (please type "Questions to Wanda Potts" in the subject line). If you visit the Library, we have a question box (using old-fashioned, but reliable, 3" x 5" note cards--Wanda would appreciate the low-tech approach) on the circular book display across from the new books (for adult readers) bookshelves. Write down your questions and drop those cards into the box. What could be easier?

We hope to see you at Wanda's celebration. There will probably be some food--always a good reason to visit the Library--but, most importantly, you will be sharing the wisdom and life's work of a pillar of our community. That, my friends, is well worth the price of admission, which is free, of course. We are a public library, after all, and the information and research assistance we provide in our Indiana Room Collection is due entirely to Wanda Potts. So, thanks are definitely in order.

Watch our program trailer (above) to see some of the photographs Wanda Potts safeguarded in our historical collections.

Here is another of our program trailers, this one promoting the Library's self-guided walking tour of downtown Mooresville, Indiana, made possible, once again, by Wanda's resources in the MPL Indiana Room.

In this program trailer (above), we learn why Wanda's work is so significant.

One of the number one records of 1939, when Wanda Potts graduated from Mooresville High School, was "Stairway to the Stars," performed by Ray Eberle (vocalist) and Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (recorded June 26, 1939).

William R. Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian &
Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

MPL Book Trailer #106: Six Characters in Search of an Author, by Luigi Pirandello

2011-05-18T11:48:00.001-04:00

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) presents a book trailer featuring the play, Six Characters in Search of an Author, by Luigi Pirandello. First performed in Rome in 1921, this "satirical tragicomedy" received mixed reviews until 1925, when the playwright, Luigi Pirandello, modified the introduction to include an explanation of the play's structure and themes. Thereafter, audiences were more favorably disposed to the play's outlandish approach. The play has inspired numerous imitations through the years.

MPL Book Trailer #105: Nickel & Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich

2011-05-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

I read Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed a decade ago, long before the Great Recession robbed most of us of our careers, livelihoods, and savings. We had lost before, of course, in the dot-com meltdown in the latter 1990s, and so Ehrenreich's book touched many readers who had joined (or were dangerously close to joining) the ranks of the working poor. Her investigation into trying to get by in America by working some of the lowest-paying, but physically demanding, jobs was sobering to say the least.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever been, or may someday be, employed. It should be required reading for young adults in high school social studies courses. They need to know what their futures might hold.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

You may learn more about the author and her books by visiting her website.

MPL Book Trailer #104: The Pearl, by John Steinbeck

2011-05-15T01:28:00.001-04:00

In my last posting, I mentioned Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables (1862), which was assigned reading in my ninth grade English course. Another assigned book was the novella The Pearl, by John Steinbeck (1947). The year before, my eighth grade English class had read excerpts from Steinbeck's Travels With Charley (1960), which I was too immature to appreciate despite having travelled extensively across the same regions just a few years after the author. The excerpts in my English textbook seemed choppy and disoriented, so I gave them the shrug-off. What's so great about this Steinbeck character, anyway? I wondered. Sure, he won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature; big whoop, my 14-year-old mindset mused.

The Pearl gave me a definitive answer as to why Steinbeck ranks among the 20th century's greatest authors. The sheer power of the writing in so short a vehicle still amazes me. Further in high school, I subsequently read several other Steinbeck classics, struggling to comprehend the more adult-oriented themes and circumstances. But the writing remained exact, fluid, straightforward, and completely entrancing. Reading Steinbeck's prose was pure pleasure.

Rather than engage in a long-winded description of the plot, I'll allow the book trailer above to entice you to check out The Pearl. Your public library will have a copy; if you're an Evergreen Indiana cardholder, you'll have the pick of the litter, as there are dozens of copies available. If you read as slowly as I, you'll still have it finished in a short weekend. Most readers absorb it in a single sitting. There's a lot to ponder--Steinbeck was always thematically substantive--so it makes a grand reading for a book discussion group, especially for young adults.

William R. Buckley

MPL Adult Services Reference Coordinator

MPL Book Trailer #103: Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo

2011-05-14T11:16:00.000-04:00

I was a high school freshman when I first read Les Misérables (1862), by Victor Hugo. It was required reading for my English class. A classmate found the actual novel too mentally taxing, so he read the Classics Illustrated version instead. Laziness will always find convenient shortcuts, thereby cheating my classmate (and others like him) from relishing the complete, unabridged glory of Hugo's greatest novel, considered one of the 19th century's best. There are plenty of websites available (see, e.g., an example) to summarize the plot, themes, and all-around minutiae, but our book trailer is reasonably concise. It's a long book (over 600 pages in some compactly-printed or abridged editions; over 1200 pages in others), and some English translations are clunky at best (I'd read it in French if I could), but you will find it fast-paced, especially when the revolutionary bits surface. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel when I was age 14 (almost 15), and I was (and remain) a "slow reader." If I can manage it, you can and should. You'll thank me later. Gifts are always appreciated. (That's a joke from my colleague, Cauli Le Chat.)

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

MPL Book Trailer #102: A Time to Love and a Time to Die, by Erich Maria Remarque

2011-05-13T15:17:00.000-04:00

Our book trailer very briefly summarizes the plot to A Time to Love and a Time to Die, a novel by Erich Maria Remarque. First published in 1954, it has been continuously in print (more or less) ever since. Mostly known for his antiwar novel, All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), Remarque wrote all his works in German, which were subsequently translated into English (and other languages). He was born Erich Paul Remark in 1898; in 1924 he opted for the older family surname spelling, which his grandfather had changed from Remarque to Remark in the 19th century. His novels especially angered the rising Nazi regime, which in 1933 orchestrated book burnings of Remarque's titles and widely disseminated lies to discredit his works. In 1943 Nazis captured and executed his sister, whose only "crime" was having been related to the famous writer. Since the Nazis couldn't reach Remarque, they instead struck at his family still living in Germany. Remarque left Germany in 1931 and lived much of his life in Switzerland, although he also lived in France (until 1939) and then the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1947. Perhaps his most famous marriage was to actress Paulette Goddard in 1958, although his two stormy marriages to actress Ilse Jutta Zambona were probably more publicized.

Among other topics, Remarque wrote powerfully descriptive, straightforward fictionalized accounts of the traumas of the first and second world wars, as well as the economic, political, and social upheavals of 1920s and 1930s Germany. A Time to Love and a Time to Die is a romance set amongst the horrors of World War II and Nazi oppression. It does not carry the bleak bluntness of The Spark of Life (1952) or the intrigue of The Night in Lisbon (1962), but it manages to balance romance (and the accompanying hope that springs eternal) with the constant dangers of living in a German city targeted by Allied bombing and the ever-present risk of Gestapo arrest. Most readers find the romantic aspects most engaging, especially in light of the wartime horrors described throughout the book.

Remarque was a powerful spokesperson against war (everyone should read All Quiet on the Western Front), and his novels should be read by anyone interested in the historical conflicts during the first half of the 20th century.

William R. Buckley
MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

MPL Book Trailer #101: Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene

2011-05-09T01:34:00.002-04:00

Bette Greene published her first novel, Summer of My German Soldier, in 1973. Intended for young adults, it powerfully and directly confronts such substantial subjects as war, jingoism, racism, prejudice, child abuse, self-esteem, and learning independent thinking and expression. The book received numerous awards and honors, including the ALA (American Library Association) Notable Book, a National Book Award finalist, the Golden Kite Award, and one of The New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year.

As a consequence of its realistic portrayal of its serious topics, the book has been one of the most challenged and/or banned, primarily in school libraries. It ranked 88th in the ALA's top 100 most challenged books list for 1990-1999, but it jumped to 55th in the ALA'S listing for 2000-2009. Challenges focus upon the book's racial epithets, portrayal of adult violence toward children, and the expression of "adult" emotions and the suggestion of an "adult relationship" potentially arising between the 12-year-old main character and the older German P.O.W. with whom she becomes involved.

Our book trailer summarizes the plot.

It is not surprising that books worthy of young adults' time and attention are continuously assaulted by the throngs of book banners, who prefer a sugar-coated portrayal of social themes and character interactions. Anything remotely realistic offends such people, who want "to protect" teenagers from discovering that society (particularly American society) has many historical blemishes. Teens, however, hunger for truth and realism, because they are discovering, as young. maturing (soon-to-be) adults, there is much brutality and harshness in the real world. Reading both fiction and non-fiction that presents an accurate portrayal of life, especially in historical works, helps young adults learn to address such adult themes in later years. It does require independent thinking, of course; this, more than anything else, is what most frustrates the "thought police" who challenge Greene's novel each year.

The book is certainly not for the faint of heart, and teachers and parents may wish to discuss ahead of time with their young adult students or children the ideas discussed in the work. Understanding these issues up-front will enable teens to make an informed decision about whether or not to read the book, and parents and teachers will have exercised an appropriate advisory role assisting (but NOT filtering) in the decision-making process.

MPL Book Trailer #100: The Mystery of the Buried Crosses, by Hamlin Garland

2011-05-07T12:29:00.003-04:00

Hamlin Garland (1860-1940), who was born in Wisconsin but grew up pioneering in Iowa and South Dakota, won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography with his book, A Daughter of the Middle Border, which was the sequel to his autobiographical/historical work, A Son of the Middle Border (1917). Prior to turning to non-fiction, Garland had become famous as a fiction author, and he is often considered the founder of the "realistic method" in American historical fiction. His novels covered the North American continent and influenced later writers who likewise emphasized realism in portraying the actualities and hardships of late 19th century American life. Critics complained that Garland's books were too harsh, negative, and depressing, but Garland cared little for what such observers thought. He was much more interested in preserving a historical record of the true lives of American frontier and post-frontier homesteaders in the latter 19th century. Life was hard, and he didn't flinch from reporting it as he himself had lived it.

In 1929 Garland moved to Hollywood, California, and subsequently focused upon psychical research, which had attracted his attention as early as 1896 when he lived in Boston. He was a keen observer, skeptical but open-minded, and he was firm in the face of facts that could not be rationally explained away. His decades of investigation culminated in his treatise, Forty Years of Psychic Research (1936), which was followed by his final book, The Mystery of the Buried Crosses (1939). It is a fascinating, true life account of the search to unmask the mystery of how an uneducated couple (Gregory & Violet Parent, of Redlands, California) was able over a 10-year period (1914-1924) to discover Spanish gold and silver coins, as well as Native American artifacts (primarily metal crosses) from early Spanish missionary days, which had been buried and forgotten centuries before in the remote desert hills and mountains of central and southern California. With the help of Chicago psychic medium Sophia Williams, Garland leaves no stones unturned to uncover the secrets underlying this intriguing historical mystery.

Our book trailer below gives the highlights of Garland's research.

There is a wealth of information about the author available from the Hamlin Garland Society (affiliated with the American Literature Association) that was founded to promote and preserve Garland's many literary achievements.

MPL Book Trailer #99: Krapp's Last Tape, by Samuel Beckett

2011-05-05T00:00:00.003-04:00

Krapp's Last Tape (1958), a one-act, single-actor play by Irish writer Samuel Beckett, was reprinted a couple of years ago in a paperback edition entitled Krapp's Last Tape and Other Dramatic Pieces (Grove Press, 2009). Beckett (1906-1989) received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969. His style became associated with the "theatre of the absurd," with much "gallows humor" and an accompanying bleak, "tragicomic" perspective of the human condition.

Krapp's Last Tape presents a 69-year-old man as the sole cast of the play. As his advancing age approaches death, he engages on his 69th birthday in an annual ritual: listening to his previously recorded observations about earlier particular years as they came to a close. He would then record the current year's summary on his ancient reel-to-reel tape recorder. Our book trailer sums up the plot.

Krapp clearly struggles with his former selves, ridiculing his earlier thoughts, ideas, and feelings, but he is also obviously anxious to recapture the splendor of his youth while simultaneously fearing what he may discover among the tapes of his former voices. He wants to remember--and feel superior toward--his naive, idealistic twenty-something alter ego, and his present, 69-year-old self joins in mocking his youth as he listens to the caustic commentary from his 39-year-old persona. Ultimately, himself-from-thirty-years-ago disgusts the elder Krapp, and he considers himself now fortunate to be rid of 39-him and the rest of his youthful voices. But this isn't entirely true; he longs to recover what had been so easy and natural as a younger man--that optimism, self-assurance, confidence--before life's trials and tribulations jaded him. This denial of desires is contrasted with his strange obsession for bananas, which is an example of Beckett's "dark humor" about sexuality. An actor playing Krapp must carry the play by a strong solo performance, and the psychological twists and convolutions throughout make for anything but smooth sailing.

Beckett was a master at tragic comedy, or "tragicomedy," as critics dubbed it. The absurdity of situations counterpoints seemingly ordinary circumstances, so that the emotional turmoil a character experiences descends upon the audience in waves. Modern readers may be perplexed by some of Krapp's expressions--or maybe just because of the central prop, a reel-to-reel tape recorder, which nobody under age 35 has probably seen outside of a museum--but those more mature in the audience (or readership) can relate to Krapp's agony. We, too, may sometimes wonder if our lives have been as productive and fruitful (or even enjoyable) as we had once hoped and dreamed. The past is definitely more difficult to scrutinize than the future, because we have a little more certainty about what has happened than what may yet occur. Beckett reminds us, however, that this certainty may be mostly illusory. The lessons from our youth may teach us something in our senior years, but we have to really want to learn from them, and that, as Krapp reveals, is the truly bitter pill.

P.S. Consider Beckett's themes in light of Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece," as covered by The Band, on the group's LP, Cahoots (1971).

Revised MS-PowerPoint Slideshow for E.I. Conference Workshop on May 6, 2011

2011-05-02T19:44:00.000-04:00

For my upcoming workshop at the 2011 Evergreen Indiana Conference, I have revised my MS-PowerPoint slideshow to include an Evergreen Indiana promotional holiday video created by North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library. To download a free copy of this slideshow, click the hyperlink below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?6q2ez94jk2f2ycy

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Select either "open with [Microsoft Office PowerPoint (default)]" or "save file," depending upon which choice you wish to make.

When you attempt to run the MS-PowerPoint Show, this security alert will probably pop-up:

There are Macros and ActiveX controls in the PowerPoint slideshow, so you should choose "Enable the content" and click the OK button. Otherwise, the slideshow may not display properly.

In the slideshow, if the embedded video boxes appear with X's on the PowerPoint slides, this indicates broken hyperlinks. However, the titles of each video (as shown on the slides above the X boxes) are also hyperlinked, so clicking the titles should open a pop-up window playing the videos. Active textual hyperlinks should appear in blue or purple.

Please email the presenter should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

MPL Book Trailer #98: The Thirty-Nine Steps, by John Buchan

2011-04-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

Scottish writer John Buchan presented his mystery/suspense novel The Thirty-Nine Steps in 1915, during World War I's first years. Buchan wrote the book while bedridden--recovering from a duodenal ulcer--and its success skyrocketed the author to the heights of literary popularity. It was the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an action-adventure character whose aplomb, pluckiness, and ingenuity enabled him to escape a continuous series of difficult situations.

Buchan characterized 39 Steps as a "shocker" novel, in which the story's events were so improbable that readers would have to be willing to suspend disbelief and engage the adventure. Readers were certainly willing and able to join the fun. The book was eventually adapted for plays, motion pictures, and television programs. The most famous movie adaptation was undoubtedly director Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. The movie helped define the thriller genre and introduced a new generation to Buchan's work.

Our book trailer gives a hint of what to expect.

The novel is nearly a century old, but it holds up well and delivers sufficient excitement, adventure, and intrigue to keep the reader turning pages until the end.

If you have an Evergreen Indiana library card, you may place a hold on the book. Click here or here for copies in the E.I. catalog.

William R. Buckley
MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

"Video/Online Social Networks" Workshop at E.I. Conference--PowerPoint Slideshow Now Available to Download

2011-04-29T15:18:00.002-04:00

Click the hyperlink below to download the MS-PowerPoint slideshow presented during the "Video/Online Social Networks to Promote E.I. & Your Library" workshop at the Evergreen Indiana Conference sponsored by the Indiana State Library on Friday, May 6, 2011. The presenter, William R. Buckley, of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), has uploaded the slideshow (in MS-PowerPoint Show format) for the convenience of attendees (and others interested) who would like to have a viewable copy with active hyperlinks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?pk31qc1u4qgh7m3

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Please email the presenter at billb@mooresville.lib.in.us should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

ILF District 8 Library Video Workshop (April 27, 2011): MS-PowerPoint Slideshow

2011-04-21T23:36:00.013-04:00

Click the hyperlink below to download the MS-PowerPoint slideshow presented during the "Trailers Rock" workshop at the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) District 8 Conference held on April 27, 2011. The presenters, Suzanne Walker and William R. Buckley, of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), have uploaded the slideshow (in MS-PowerPoint Show format) for the convenience of attendees (and others interested) who would like to have a viewable copy with active hyperlinks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?l8fxa55b8mm1d4l

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Please email the presenters at wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

We Want Your Feedback!

2011-04-12T14:43:00.001-04:00

Our patrons' feedback is important to us. Throughout the year we offer patrons an opportunity to complete surveys on various topics concerning our collections and services. We just completed a computer lab survey, and we would like to thank everyone who shared ideas.

We are now conducting an adult program survey to see which types of programs our patrons would like to have offered at our Library. These may be obtained by visiting the Library and asking at the Circulation Desk. The survey form is shown below, which you may click to enlarge.

2011 MPL Adult Programs Survey

(Available at the Library Circulation Desk)

Take a moment during your next visit to pick-up and complete this important survey. We want to improve the quantity and quality of our services, and you can help us focus our adult programming to best satisfy your wants and needs.

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us

P.S. In another of our Library blogs, our feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, closes most of her posts with a music video tied to something discussed. I'd like to give that a try, too. In keeping with our survey theme, here is "The Opinions of Paddy Magee," a mid-19th century Irish folk song performed by David Kincaid.

New Blog Features

2011-04-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

We have added some new features to this blog. (For a more humorous description, take a look at our feline roving reporter's blog, Cat's Eye View @ MPL, by Cauli Le Chat.)

You may now subscribe to this blog by email. There is an email subscription box on the right side. Simply type your email address and click the submit button.

We have also added a video thumbnail strip hyperlinking some of our videos from the MPL YouTube Channel. Simply click the thumbnail, and a video pop-up window will appear to the left.

We hope you enjoy these additional blog features. If you would like to see other "Blogger gadgets" added to the blog, please let us know in the comments section.

Thanks for reading!

Bill Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Logo & Flag Design Contests

2011-04-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

May, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Mooresville Public Library. We have many ideas for a year-long celebration. Here are a couple:

commemorative 100th anniversary library logo
commemorative 100th anniversary library flag

But we need truly fabulous designs. That's where you come in.

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Logo Design Contest
Announcement & Rules
(Right-click & select "Fullscreen" to see enlarged version)

In case the embedded graphic above becomes weird and "unviewable," here's the URL:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/75582306/MPL-100th-Anniversary-Original-Logo-Design-Contest

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Flag Design Contest
Announcement & Rules
(Right-click & select "Fullscreen" to see enlarged version)

Here's the URL, if this document (above) is hard to read:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/75582308/MPL-100th-Anniversary-Original-Flag-Design-Contest

If you are a . . .

Morgan County, Indiana resident, and
Graphics designer (or wannabe) interested in submitting your original logo and/or flag designs

. . . this is your chance at immortality and fame (sorry, no fortune, although there will probably be prizes awarded to the winning selections.) As the "official rules" indicate, email PDF formatted original designs to me. An independent committee of qualified experts (probably not me) will evaluate your submissions, which become the sole property of the Library upon submission and cannot be returned.

Make a lasting contribution to Mooresville, Indiana (and MPL) history. Design the commemorative logo and/or flag to help us celebrate 100 years of excellent library service.

Bill Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services
Mooresville Public Library
wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us

MPL Book Trailer #97: The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

2011-04-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

The Maze Runner, the first of a young adult science fiction trilogy by James Dashner, is a dystopian novel in which roughly 60 boys (who have no prior memories) are held prisoner at a self-contained agricultural enclave called the Glade. This area is walled-off from the outside world, and the only escape is through a maze that changes nightly. Runners are sent daily searching for an exit, but they return unsuccessfully each time. The maze is inhabited by monsters called the Grievers, and so there are dangers aplenty for the lads (called Gladers). When their supplies suddenly stop arriving, they must devise an exit strategy or face eventual death.

Here is our book trailer featuring this intriguing sci-fi mystery. The target audience is young adult.

Celebrating National Library Week (April 10-16, 2011) With Our New Program Trailer

2011-03-31T11:14:00.000-04:00

Continuing our anticipated celebration of National Library Week (April 10-16, 2011), we present our program trailer that forecasts a foreboding future if folks forget (what great alliteration!) how important libraries are to their everyday lives. Although library services appear to be "free," they must be funded, and in the case of public libraries or academic libraries at public institutions, we taxpayers must pony up the cash. That's not a popular theme these days, but it is important to remember what happens to governmental services when the money stops. It is a mistake to take these things for granted.

National Library Week is April 10-16, 2011

2011-03-30T11:33:00.000-04:00

National Library Week is April 10-16, 2011. You should celebrate by reading, and then, to relax, read some more. You could also read while you're waiting for the week to arrive.

The slogan for this year is "visit your library today and create your own story." Quoting further from the official American Library Association (ALA) poster:

Today’s libraries can help you discover a new and exciting world. Take advantage of the free access to books and computers, homework help, assistance with resumes and job searches, accurate financial information, adult education courses, support for new Americans, CDs, DVDs and much more. Don’t forget, your librarian is information smart and can help you find the right answer @ your library.

Visit the American Library Association (ALA) web site to read more about National Library Week. April is School Library Month, too, so students, visit your school library, as well as your public library.

You may download the official ALA National Library Week poster from here. Author John Grisham is honorary chair. Our Library has a couple of unofficial posters, featuring our feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, and her "cub" reporter, Harley Quinn (along with the "Lady With the Red Hair"). Click on the images below to enlarge them.

S631 Project Video: Importing, Batch Loading, & Global Updating MARC Records in Integrated Library Systems

2011-03-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

If you have stumbled upon this blog, you might want to move right along to another article among those listed in the Blog Archive (below, right-hand side of the screen). The sole purpose of this blog is to embed a video that I will be playing during a Powerpoint presentation for S631 Advanced Cataloging on March 25, 2011. Through experience I have discovered that you can never have too many contingency plans for "what if" scenarios involving dysfunctional technologies. Having the video accessible through this blog is just one additional safeguard.

Wish me luck in my presentation! It's worth a quarter of my semester grade.

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

Workplace Communication: Say What?

2011-03-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

Many moons ago, I was a human resources trainer at a hospital in our capital city. Recently, I was discarding some old training materials from those bygone days when I came across a forgotten photograph. It has a peculiar history.

Following a staff workshop I conducted on workplace communication, a departmental manager complained that she had learned nothing practical. "All you H.R. eggheads present your textbook ideas without any appreciation what it's really like in the trenches," she postulated. "It all sounds really fine, but try to make it work in the real world, and it falls flat." Did she have any examples? "Enough for a dozen workshops," she declared. She offered a sampling: her departmental bulletin board. (This was in the relatively early days of the world wide web, and many employees did not have email. There were no instant messaging or online notice boards available.) The manager complained that her staff never looked at the items stapled to the bulletin board, although they all knew that this was the primary means of departmental communication.

"How do they know to look there?" I asked.

"We had a departmental meeting announcing it, and I personally told those absent. But nobody pays any attention to what I post on the bulletin board. I could put up a nude photo of myself, and no one would notice." I couldn't help advising against this, imagining the consequential sexual harassment claims. She scoffed. "I bet you five dollars nobody would say a word." I could always use a Mr. Lincoln, so the bet was made.

About a week later, I dropped by the manager's department. Amongst the memos and notices stapled to the bulletin board was a clearly visible, full-frontal nude Polaroid color photo of the manager. I was taken aback; I hadn't really expected her to post it, but there, for all of our working world to see, was this manager in the raw. (Good likeness, it seemed.)

I left the photo thumb-tacked to the bulletin board, thinking that, any day now, there would be a stampede to human resources to file sexual harassment claims.

There wasn't. Nobody said a word about the photo, as far as I could discover. (Our H.R. officer overseeing such complaints subsequently confirmed that no photo-related harassment claims had been made that month.) At month's end, I returned to the department, removed the photo from the bulletin board, and visited the manager.

"You owe me five bucks," she demanded.

"All this proves," I deduced, "Is that none of your staff formally complained about your nude picture. They may have seen it and said nothing."

"Do you honestly think that these people," she indicated her staff by a sweeping wave of her arm, "Would have seen this photo and not talk about it themselves? It would have been all over the hospital grapevine." She was correct about the hospital's gossip grapevine. A juicy tidbit like this would have circulated far and wide, had anybody noticed.

She smiled. "Pay me the five dollars. You can keep the photo as a memento--something interesting to include in your workshops."

The manager had demonstrated a curious dilemma in office communication. How do you assure that employees will actually read (or listen to) important information disseminated to them? I suggested to the manager that she distribute handouts of significant notices to each employee, having them sign-off their receipt. "Upper management wants us to reduce photocopy costs," she countered.

"Try making important announcements at departmental meetings and directing staff to the bulletin board for details," I said.

"No good. Some of my staff only work nights and weekends and can't attend departmental meetings when I'm here [during the weekdays]. I'm not coming in at all hours just to tell them stuff they should be able to read off the bulletin board."

"Why not have each employee sign a statement acknowledging that the bulletin board would be the sole vehicle for departmental communication, and that it was his/her responsibility to remain apprised of postings?" I offered.

"That doesn't work, either." She named another department head who had announced a procedure change at a departmental meeting and then subsequently discharged an employee for failing to follow the new process. "She [the other department head] had her staff sign-in at the meeting, so she could prove attendance. The employee [who was present and signed-in at the meeting] said she didn't hear anything about a new procedure. Upper management paid off her and her lawyer's lawsuit." (This was not entirely accurate. There was no lawsuit; rather, it was an administrative hearing for unemployment compensation, in which the hospital argued the employee had been discharged for just cause, thereby precluding a benefits award. The hearing officer sided with the hospital, citing the signed attendance sheet, as well as testimony of other employees in attendance, as evidence of the employee's prior knowledge of the procedural change.)

It occurred to me that one of the difficulties preventing effective workplace communication is this anticipated breakdown. How can any communication effort work if there is a preconceived belief that it will fail? Negative expectations assure negative outcomes.

ISBN-10: 0982672543
ISBN-13: 9780982672549

In Misunderstood!: The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work--What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Shut Up (Casey Communications, 2010), author Allie Casey advises that the right approach, as well as the right words, is essential to effective workplace communication. The critical mindset is to extend "the invitation for communication," as Casey phrases the approach. Self-examination helps workers and managers understand what they may (or may not) be doing to foster dialogue or exchanges of ideas. With this awareness in place, one may proceed to "power communicating" by clarifying one's messages and matching them with the most effective delivery mechanisms. There are definitely some excellent concepts presented in this book, and it is well worthwhile for anyone working in a business or professional environment to peruse.

By the way, I never mentioned the photo in any workshops. Why become a lightning rod for trouble? I hate to discard a good picture, though.

William R. Buckley, J.D.
MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services
& Indiana Room Historian

Watercolor Magic (With Grace Cole) @ MPL

2011-03-10T16:46:00.000-05:00

All art begins in the heart. What your heart creates, your hands can shape. It is simply a matter of technique, and with sufficient practice and training, those skills may be developed.

Reserve a place in artist Grace Cole's watercolor magic classes, which are held at our library. The next class will be Tuesdays, March 22 & 29, 2011, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., in the Library Community Room. You must register for the class, either by calling (317) 831-7323 (ask for Meghan) or by visiting our online calendar and clicking on the event to which you wish to register. The cost is $3.00 at the door. Attendees are asked to wear a work shirt and to bring a washrag and a cup for water. Other supplies will be furnished.

The library has a program trailer describing the wonders of watercolor art. The paintings appear as if by magic! Well, time-lapse photography helps.

If you have ever wanted to learn to paint but haven't touched watercolors since kindergarten, now's your chance to learn from a pro. You'll have lots of fun and will create some fine artwork.

MPL Book Trailer #96: Signal, by Cynthia DeFelice

2011-03-08T02:59:00.000-05:00

For our one hundredth book trailer, we present Signal, by Cynthia DeFelice (Square Fish, 2011) (ISBN 0312617763 and 978-0312617769). The intended audience for this fictional work is young adults.

This book trailer (#96) brings the total on our YouTube Channel to 100, including four others that are numbered differently.

Holy Experiment Day (March 4)

2011-03-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

March 4, which was yesterday now (my laptop is on EST), although my blog clock is PST, --umm-- now I've forgotten what I started to say. Oh, yes. March 4 is (was) Holy Experiment Day. (Really.) Several web sites discussing this day's observance suggested invoking prayer and experimenting with various pleas to test results. Perhaps a more expansive interpretation is available. The objective might be to seek what you consider holy in your life or the lives of those around you. Maybe that's the same thing as prayer; I'm no ecclesiastical scholar. However you wish to experiment, should you wish to do so, I hope your results are encouraging.

As my contribution, I'd like to mention a couple of wonderful songs--one gospel, one folk spiritual--performed by two folk rock legends, The Byrds and Cat Stevens. The Byrds present their electric version of Bob Dylan's Lay Down Your Weary Tune, and Cat Stevens delivers a powerful rendition of Morning Has Broken.

Bill Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

& Indiana Room Historian

Here Come the Chicks! (to MPL Youth Services)

2011-03-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

Beginning March 15, 2011, MPL Youth Services will be showcasing a chicken egg incubator, and visitors may watch the eggs as the chicks inside mature and, around the first of April, hatch out. It is a natural wonder to behold. Who can resist a fluffy little feathered friend? Our program trailer below gives a hint of coming attractions.

The incubator will be on public display behind the Youth Services information desk. You can follow the eggs/chicks' progress by visiting the library's latest blog, Hatching Chicks at MPL, written by Suzanne Walker, M.L.S., Youth Services Librarian at MPL. The URL is:

http://mplhatchingchicks.blogspot.com/

The project, now in its second consecutive year, is looking for special families to foster pairs of baby chicks over Easter and then return them to the library. Please follow the chick blog for more details.

For a humorous blog from the feline viewpoint, we offer the musings of our own roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat (click here and here).

Bill Buckley
MPL Reference Coordinator, Adult Services
& Indiana Room Historian

March Madness Brings "Basket Cases" for Weaving Classes @ MPL

2011-02-26T11:25:00.000-05:00

March madness may mean college basketball to most people, but at our library, it means being a "basket case"--sort of.

On March 12 (1:00-4:00 p.m.) and March 16 (6:00-9:00 p.m.) in the MPL Community Room, if you pre-register, you can learn to make a basket like this. (Each date is a separate class, so you would only sign-up for one date.) Cost is $10 per participant.

Class sizes are limited to six persons, so you should register soon. Visit our web site and click calendar on the left-side menu to register online, or call (317) 831-7323 and ask for Meghan. If you have questions about the class, email basketsfromjuniorsfarm@yahoo.com -- type "MPL Basket Class" in the subject line.

Basket weaving is easy to learn and fun to do. As our feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, says, "Baskets make great secret sleeping spots. Plus you can put lots of stuff in them, like kitty snacks." She may stop by for a visit, so there's a heads-up. She likes tuna-flavored treats.

Cauli offers her thoughts about the basket weaving classes in her blog (click here).

Bill Buckley
MPL Reference Coordinator

MPL Program Trailer #15: Yoga Classes at the Library

2011-02-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

Mooresville Public Library (MPL) offers many adult and youth programs that are open to the public. One recurring program has been yoga classes, which are offered several times during the year. There are separate sessions for adults and young adults. Specific dates and times are listed on the library's online calendar (http://www.mooresvillelib.org, and click "calendar" on the menu along the left-hand side of our home page), or you may call Meghan at (317) 831-7323 for details. When classes are scheduled, you may register for sessions online (using the calendar) or by calling the phone number above.

MPL Book Trailer #95: The Walls of the Universe, by Paul Melko

2011-02-17T19:38:00.001-05:00

Doppelgängers are popular fictional devices. The concept of the "evil twin" is probably as old as fictional writing itself. The term is also used to describe an exact double of an individual, sometimes associated with spectres or astral projection (out-of-body experiences). In The Walls of the Universe (Tor Books, 1st ed., 2009; ISBN 0765319977), science fiction author Paul Melko weaves an intriguing variation of doubles in his story about parallel universes and what may happen when people trade places. It is the "fish out of water" theme mixed with the crossed-twins (switched identities) theme. Novelists of such stature as Mark Twain repeatedly used the device in such works as The Prince and the Pauper, and it has become something of a modern literary cliche. Melko avoids the pitfalls of overuse by devising an ingenious story with believable characters living more or less ordinary lives.

Our book trailer below provides a brief plot summary.

MPL Book Trailer #94: Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature, by Marko Pogačnik

2011-02-10T23:21:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to communicate with nature spirits and elemental beings? Author Marko Pogačnik thinks so, based, he claims, upon his own personal experience. Our book trailer below peeks at Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature, by Marko Pogačnik (Findhorn Press, 2^nd rev. ed., 2010) (ISBN 9781844091751).

As with all books involving paranormal topics, it is advisable to critically analyze and evaluate the material with a fair and open mind. It is a stimulating read and will provide insights into the philosophy and practice of the interconnectivity of life on this planet.

Bill Buckley, MPL Reference Coordinator & Indiana Room Historian

Black History Month: Spotlight on Major Taylor

2011-02-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Check out our Indiana Room blog about Major Taylor, world champion Hoosier bicyclist. Our book trailer below gives a brief summary of one of his biographies.

MPL Book Trailer #93: Animated Earth, by Daniel Statnekov

2011-02-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

You can find lots of unusual bargains at auctions and estate sales. A quarter century ago, I made the rounds to many such events, making occasional purchases but, more frequently, just watching the action. I always dreamed of discovering a hidden treasure from among the bric-a-brac, but I was never so fortunate or skillful. I can only imagine how Daniel Statnekov must have felt when he bought a Peruvian water carrier at a Pennsylvania auction, only to find that, if one were to blow into it, the tone generated caused an altered state of consciousness.

The artifact turned out to be a Peruvian whistling vessel. Such whistles had their origins in pre-Columbian times. Daniel Statnekov's exploratory journey is chronicled in Animated Earth: a Story of Peruvian Whistles and Transformation (North Atlantic Books, 2nd ed., 2003). (Visit the author's website for the latest developments.) Our book trailer gives a glimpse of the story.

It is an exciting tale, full of surprising revelations and amazing experiences. It is intriguing to consider that whistling could produce powerful shifts in one's awareness. It is a far cry from my childhood days, when the only shift generated by my energetic blowing into an authentic police whistle was geographical; I spent the evening in my room, without any supper. (In all fairness, I had been warned to cease and desist by my mother. A parent can tolerate only so much shrillness in a single day.)

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator

MPL YouTube Channel Reaches 25,000 Viewership Mark

2011-02-01T21:03:00.001-05:00

The MPL YouTube Channel reached 25,000 viewers today. To celebrate, we are embedding below one of our book trailers featuring a biography about Harold Lloyd, a great silent film star.

Click here to read our previous blog about this video.

MPL Book Trailer #92: Busy Elephants, by John Schindel & Martin Harvey

2011-01-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't like elephants? These adorable, gentle giants are beautifully photographed in Busy Elephants, a new children's board book (release date: February 22, 2011) written by John Schindel and photographed by Martin Harvey (ISBN 9781582463834). Schindel has paired the photos with wonderful action verbs and rhymes that toddlers love during "readalouds." Our book trailer below gives the gist.

The book, which is one of the Busy Book series published by Tricycle Press, has a reading level of ages 4-8, but it is also appropriate for toddlers, as well as preschoolers and early elementary school readers.

William R. Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator

Precipitated Spirit Portraits

2011-01-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Psychic mediumship has become a more socially acceptable topic, at least for the popular media. Books, television programs, movies, and web sites devote considerable attention to the subject. Although scientific materialism, which discounts survival of bodily death, and so-called "mainstream" religions continue to disparage psychic phenomena, millions of people entertain at least a casual interest in the subject. Much of this criticism has been directed toward spiritualism, which became a religious movement over 150 years ago and has endured critics, many professing "the truth" of alternative faiths. Religions have a long history of sniping at one another, and, unfortunately, so does science, which itself can become a religion (commonly called scientism, which is a belief in certain scientific viewpoints as a matter of faith rather than veridical evidence). True science, of course, openly and objectively considers the facts based upon experiment and careful observation of data, regardless of preconceptions or prevalent theories.

Today is not unlike a century ago, when millions actively believed in survival of bodily death and communication with the departed. Then, as now, these pursuits were ridiculed by establishment science, with its reductionist, materialistic interpretation of life and death. Unlike today, however, the press ofyesteryear brutally attacked those inquiring into psychic phenomena. Only the most courageous scientists and investigators publicly studied the matter and published their results.

Two organizations that attracted some of the last two centuries' brightest minds were the British Society for Psychical Research and its American counterpart. Some of the most brilliant scientists of the period--Alfred Russel Wallace, Oliver Lodge, William Crookes, William Barrett, Camille Flammarion, Charles Richet, Cesare Lombroso, Gustave Geley, and William James, to name just a few of the intellectual cream-of-the-crop--investigated paranormal activities for decades, carefully scrutinizing the evidence, remaining skeptical but open-minded (for the most part), until, finally, after (it bears repeating) decades of intensive research, they were ultimately convinced of the reality and genuineness of the phenomena. Many academics, such as Frederic W. H. Myers, Richard Hodgson, and James Hyslop, as well as prominent authors, such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Hamlin Garland, and Maurice Maeterlinck, and other professionals, such as Vice-Admiral W. Usborne Moore, the Rev. William Stainton Moses, and the Rev. Charles L. Tweedale, devoted enormous time and energy to psychical research. They, too, reached favorable conclusions regarding the truth and authenticity of certain of the paranormal phenomena they encountered. Along the way, these researchers and many others also discovered fraud and were prompt to discredit charlatans; but all were equally prompt to admit that they had witnessed bona fide paranormal phenomena. This pioneering exploration of psychical science has been all but forgotten today, but anyone interested may easily ferret reprints of the fascinating original publications.

One expression of mediumistic power is the spontaneous production of paintings attributed to spirit forces. The Bangs sisters of Chicago were carefully studied by Vice-Admiral W. Usborne Moore, and he received convincing proof, under ideal test conditions, that portraits of deceased persons could be rapidly painted by "spirit forces" in the sisters' presence. Usborne Moore, who began his study totally skeptical, stated in his book, Glimpses of the Next State (London : Watts & Co., 1911), that fraud or collusion could be absolutely excluded as an explanation for the Bangs sisters' precipitated portraits, given his stringent precautions in place during the creation of the artwork.

The sisters' paintings were created at many places, including a Hoosier religious community, Camp Chesterfield (Chesterfield, Indiana), which is located in Madison County and appears on the National Register of Historic Places. Many Bangs precipitated spirit portraits are displayed there. A few of the paintings may be seen in The Bangs Sisters and Their Precipitated Spirit Portraits, originally compiled and written by Irene Swann (Chesterfield, Ind. : Hett Memorial Art Gallery & Museum, 1969, rev. 1991). These paintings are well-crafted, tasteful representations of deceased persons, some of whom allegedly were the impetus behind the artwork.

To learn the mechanics of precipitated spirit painting, you should read Usborne Moore's book, or Precipitated Spirit Paintings, by Ron Nagy (Lakeville, Minn. : Galde Press, 2006). The color images included in Swann's and Nagy's books are striking and intriguing. Readers may decide for themselves as to the likely origins of the art, but it remains another of those interesting paranormal mysteries that are, if nothing else, fun to examine.

Karl C. B. Muilliwey

Paranormal Investigator & Author of Haunting at Sycamore Lake (see book trailer below)

Guest Blogger

Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger: The Sherlock Holmes of Science Adventure

2011-01-16T20:41:00.001-05:00

Most readers know Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's great detective, Sherlock Holmes. Only true Conan Doyle enthusiasts have heard of Professor George Edward Challenger. Professor Challenger was to adventure tales what Sherlock Holmes was to mystery stories. Conan Doyle desired an imposing, dominating scientist (just as Holmes was larger-than-life in crime detection), and Challenger more than fit the bill. He was, in fact, a caricature of science, with exaggerated personality traits (physically imposing, obstinate, volatile, prone to violence, both verbal and physical, when faced with opposing opinions or woolly thinking) intermingled with standard scientific perspectives (coldly analytical, strictly deductive, observant, interested in only testable facts and verifiable sensory data). The character's name was a pun: the challenge to orthodox viewpoints that were no longer sustainable in light of new, compelling scientific evidence. But the professor could also be as dogmatic and mentally rigid as those he railed against. He was a collection of contradictions, which is why Conan Doyle found him interesting as his fictional lightning rod.

The Complete Professor Challenger Stories (Amsterdam: Fredonia Books, 2004) (ISBN 1410107507) is a compilation of Conan Doyle's novellas and short stories featuring the fiery scientist. In Challenger, Conan Doyle created a new type of adventure story--science adventure--which was not really science fiction but based on actual scientific theories and discoveries. (Obviously, however, there was fiction involved, since Conan Doyle was inventing the plots, characters, etc.) Jules Verne was first to present "science adventure" in fiction, but Verne's novels could better be classed as science fiction, although, frankly, that seems more semantic than descriptive, now that I've re-read the sentence.

The best known (and most popular) Challenger tale is The Lost World, which was adapted into at least two motion pictures (a 1925 silent film by First National Pictures, and Irwin Allen's 1960 production, which is the cornier of the two but still quite enjoyable for its time and intended audience of children and teenagers), as well as a (really corny) television program in 2001. Michael Crichton paid tribute to Conan Doyle's novella by naming his sequel to Jurassic Park after it. We have a book trailer that conveys some of the excitement of Conan Doyle's The Lost World.

The Lost World is arguably Conan Doyle's best Challenger story, but, far and away, his best "actual science" Challenger novella is The Land of Mist. Critics vilified Conan Doyle for this story, because he examines the scientific investigation of evidence supporting survival of bodily death. What irritated fans and foes alike was his presentation of spiritualism in the work. Having spent several decades carefully, objectively, and skeptically investigating spiritualistic claims, he came to the intellectual conclusion that spiritualism presented a valid hypothesis that was factually demonstrated. You would need to study the subject in depth to appreciate Conan Doyle's reasoning (I recommend his two volume The History of Spiritualism), but critics invariably suggest that Conan Doyle had gone soft in the head by studying the subject. Ad hominem arguments are typical when opponents of a particular idea find it difficult to undermine what are, to them, the undesirable facts presented, so they instead attack the messenger's character or integrity. Conan Doyle may have been a solid scientist and physician in everything else, but in this aspect, so his critics mused, he was plain nuts. Never mind the fact that Conan Doyle spent decades critically analyzing cases, trying valiantly to explain (or explain away) the evidence that would afford an ordinary, non-paranormal, non-survival interpretation. It was only after a crushing avalanche of proof amassed that he decided that spiritualistic phenomena were what they were purported to be.

The Land of Mist, then, is Conan Doyle's fictional attempt to communicate the scientific evidence collected in psychical research, both by spiritualists and by scientific bodies such as the British Society for Psychical Research (of which Conan Doyle was an early member and supporter, but from which he eventually parted company due to "entrenched ideologies"), the American Society for Psychical Research, the French Institut Métapsychique, and other organizations and individual researchers. Conan Doyle continually alludes to this research throughout the novella. He includes appendices that discuss, to some extent, his original source materials. As fictional "adventure science," the tale holds up surprisingly well, even if you are not well versed in the underlying research.

Some of the other Challenger stories have been characterized as bleak, even morbid, but Conan Doyle presented underlying themes (more or less explored) in much of his fiction, so one must read between the lines, as generations of English teachers have advised, to gather the author's meaning. (This puzzled me in grade school--there is only white space between the printed lines of text--so what was there to see? Kids, like adults, can be too literal sometimes.) Social attitudes and contemporaneous events influence writers, and Conan Doyle was no exception, so it should not be surprising to discover his occasional commentaries on what was happening in the world around him.

The Complete Professor Challenger Stories provide a hefty punch (much like the professor himself, in one of his more boisterous moods) of "science adventure" that will entertain and, possibly, enlighten.

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator