Mukwonago Community Library Blog

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Auto and Small Engine Repair Information @ Your Library

Is your rusty Chevrolet held together by chicken wire? The Mukwonago Community Library has resources that can help you maintain, fix, or learn about your truck, van, car, ATV, snowmobile, or tractor. These resources include subscription databases on the internet as well as print manuals. The subscription databases are great because they are accessible 24/7 from your home computer, and all you need is your CAFE library card!

SUBSCRIPTION DATABASES

Auto Repair Reference Center™
If you are looking to repair your vehicle the Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) database is a great resource. With an easy to use interface that contains a comprehensive collection of automobile repair reference information. ARRC contains information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles, with coverage on over 35,000 vehicles from 1945 to now. It has a variety of information including almost a million drawing and photographs, 99,000 technical service bulletins and recall information, and over 158,600 wiring diagrams. All of these are easily printable and most include specifications and maintenance schedule. It is also a great resource because it is continually updated, so check for your automobile here. Please only use this database in Internet Explorer, it may not work properly in other web browsers.

Small Engine Repair Reference Center™

If you are looking to repair your ATV, mower, tractor, motorcycle, Jet Ski, snow blower, or other small engine the Small Engine Repair Reference Center subscription database is a fantastic tool. This comprehensive resource contains 410 reference books in full text with original photos and illustrations that guide the user through every job that goes back 25 years. It aids in detailed engine and transmission disassembly and is searchable by product type, brand, model type, and engine type. Most articles are printable PDF which makes transporting this information to your shop or garage easier than ever!

PRINT MANUALS

The library has a collection of print manuals available for you to browse through. The largest resource for the print collection is our collection of Chilton repair manuals. We just received the new 2010 editions, so look for them on the shelves in the near future! The reference manuals are not available for checkout, but you can look at them in the reference collection and photocopies can be made for 15 cents per page. Other manuals include Outboard Motor, Haynes, and other general information items.
If you are looking for a manual to take home with you and we don’t have it available in the library, stop by, call, or e-mail the reference desk. Through Interlibrary Loan we may be able to borrow what you need from another library in the state.
Good luck with your repair or project!

----
Today’s blog article was written by the newest edition to the Mukwonago Community Library staff, Tristan Kelly. Tristan will be a new face behind the reference and circulation desk most weekdays in the afternoon and evening hours. She just graduated this year from UW-Milwaukee with a Masters in Library and Information Science and is excited to be working here. She loves a good challenge so make sure to bring in your reference questions!

Welcome Tristan!

Long-time librarian Janet Kosky will be sorely missed, but I believe you will all find Tristan Kelly, our new librarian, to be a friendly, knowledgeable and helpful presence at the library. Tristan started on Monday and is rapidly learning our library. Say “Hi” to her next time you’re in.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Tea & Mystery Update

The Tea & Mystery event is rapidly approaching-- this Sunday, from 2-4 pm. One of the two featured authors, Deb Baker, will be on the TMJ's Morning Blend (Channel 4) tomorrow, Oct. 19 between 9 and 10 am. She'll be talking about her new book, and will also plug the event here at the library. Check it out!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Rant or Rave: The Lost Symbol

I haven't done one of these in a while and I rarely do rants, so I guess its time for one. I sincerely regret that I wasted over 17 hours of my life listening to Dan Brown's latest "thriller", The Lost Symbol-- it is a dreadful book, on many levels. I have read three of Mr. Brown's books now, and they have gotten progressively worse.

There are some minor spoilers below, so if you have not read The Lost Symbol and still plan to, I will first encourage you not to waste your time and second note that you may learn more about the book than you wish to know in the review below.

The first of Dan Brown's books that I read, The Da Vinci Code, was fairly entertaining and rather clever. It was also somewhat preachy in parts and you definitely got the feeling that Mr. Brown wanted you to know that he is a terribly clever fellow who isn't afraid to drop names. But I enjoyed it.

Angels and Demons was my second read, though it is actually the predecessor to The Da Vinci Code. Angels and Demons was still somewhat entertaining, but the heavy-handed anti-Catholicism wore on me as the book progressed and the "gotcha" Hitchcockian twist at the end was fairly absurd and really stretched my ability to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the story. I didn't regret reading it, but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone, either.

The Lost Symbol has all of the flaws of the other two books and almost none of their pleasures. About the only thing I really liked about The Lost Symbol was that Brown set the novel in Washington, D.C., a city that truly is full of marvels and which very rarely receives its due as a great tourist destination.

So, why didn't I like Symbol? Well, the most obvious answer, and the one that grated on me throughout, is that the writing is really quite poor. There are over 100 chapters in the book and I would guess that over half of them end with a "cliffhanger" similar to the following: "What he saw chilled him to his bones," or "Then, like an oncoming truck, it hit her." Do this once or twice and it can be an effective literary device. Do it a half dozen times, but spread them out over the course of a 500+ page novel and they won't really register as more than a minor annoyance. Stuff several hundred of them (no, I didn't count, but many chapters had more than one of these "oh my gosh" non-surprising "revelations") and you start to dread the next time someone in the book sees something or learns something "startling" that the reader is not privy to until much later. Or, to quote from this review by Samuel F. Lytal, "The purpose of a cliffhanger is not for you to realize it is a cliffhanger, but instead to compel you to turn the page, not laugh at the author's lack of subtlety."

There is far, far too much laughing at Dan Brown's lack of subtlety in The Lost Symbol.

Other annoyances: The pacing is lousy. The puzzles are rather dull. The supposedly clever people are far too often incredibly stupid. The villain is both unbelievable and two-dimensional. The big "thing that will shake our democracy and our world to its core" turns out to be rather trivial and banal.

There are a few interesting and entertaining tidbits in the book. Some of the history of the Masonic order and of Washington, D.C. is intriguing, and the presentation of the "science" of noetics is okay, though Robert Langdon is arguably the worst skeptic in the history of the world, accepting wild leaps of logic and intuition on the flimsiest of "evidence" and analysis. The best part of the whole thing is probably the whirlwind "tour" of D.C. that the book takes us on.

Yet even these niceties can only help make a truly horrible book into a fairly bad book. Which is a shame, because throughout Symbol, and most of Angels and Demons, I kept thinking "This could really be quite a good book if it were written by someone other than Dan Brown. Someone better than Dan Brown."

Unfortunately, it was written by Dan Brown, and it is not a good book. So, a big, ranting BLECH for The Lost Symbol.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Old World Wisconsin Photo Display

The Mukwonago Community Library is thrilled to host a traveling display of Old World Wisconsin's Annual Photo Contest winners. Every year, OWW takes entries from its visitors, selecting the top three pictures in the areas of: 1) Pioneer Life, 2) People, 3) Agriculture, 4) Nature and 5) Historic Structures. Normally, the winning photos are displayed at Caldwell Hall on the OWW grounds, but that building is still recovering from this summer's tornado. So this year, those pictures are all a part of a traveling display. And we're the first stop!

You can't miss the display, as it is in the front lobby of the library, so check it out the next time you visit. We'll have the photos here through Friday, November 12. Details on the annual photo contest can be found here. Details on Old World Wisconsin can be found here. It's a fabulous place-- beautiful, fun and educational. A rare combination outside of your local public library.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Jack-O-Lantern Jaunt this weekend

The 8th Annual Jack-O-Lantern Jaunt is this weekend, Friday Oct. 15 and Saturday Oct. 16. This is a fun, family-friendly event, held at the Field Park grounds on the corner of Highways 83 and NN. All of the money raised at the Jaunt is donated to charity, and this year the proceeds will go the Mukwonago Food Pantry and to...(drumroll)... the Library's Expansion Fund!

So come out to Field Park this weekend-- the weather should be fine-- and have a great time while supporting two great causes. The event runs from 6-10 pm both nights. Further details on Jack-O-Lantern Jaunt can be found here. All of the pumpkins are carved by local organizations and individuals. Here are a few examples from previous Jaunts:

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Sign O' the Times

3:12 on a Tuesday afternoon and we currently have seven patrons using laptops or netbooks here in the library. On the wired computer stations-- six patrons. It seems that wired, desktop computers may soon be the wave of the past. Indeed, there are some indications that wired anything might be a thing of the past in the not so distant future.

My kids don't remember a time when phones weren't wireless. They were shocked the first time they came to my office and saw a phone that was limited in how far it could go by the wires sticking out of it. Well, not actually shocked. But certainly surprised. Will their kids be surprised to find tvs and lights and other electrical devices that actually have to be plugged in? My money is on yes.

For good or ill, we do live in interesting times.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Halloween Happenings

Wear your costume and

come trick-or-treating at the Library.

HALLOWEEN

BEDTIME BUDDIES

Tuesday, October 26, 6:30 PM

An evening storytime for families of all ages.

A SOMEWHAT SCARY

STORYTIME

Wednesday, October 27, 10:00 AM

A preschool storytime for ages 3-6 years.

BABY BOO

Thursday, October 28, 10:00 AM

A lapsit storytime for ages newborn to 36 months.

ORIGAMI WORKSHOP

Thursday, October 28, 2:00 PM

For grades 4-8.

Previous experience helpful but not required.

HALLOWEEN

CRAFTY STORIES

Friday, October 29, 2:00 PM

A story and a craft for grades K-3. Please register.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Fox 6 Piece on Expansion

In case you missed it, Fox 6 did a quick (3 minute) interview about the expansion and the Night on the Town event on their morning WakeUp segment. You can find the interview on their website: http://www.fox6now.com/news/wakeup/interviews/ then look for Mukwonago Library: A Night on the Town.

Or, just click on the video. =)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Night on the Town Event!

You may have seen it in the paper, or heard about it around town, but if not-- please mark your calendars for Sunday, Sept. 26. The Library is holding A Night on the Town, a fundraiser for the expansion project featuring John McGivern. All proceeds will benefit our expansion fund, and the night should be a lot of fun.

Some of the details:

A pre-performance gathering at Heaven City. It will feature gourmet hors d'oeuvres and a wine tasting, with a separate cash bar available. This "opening act" kicks off at 5:45.
Doors at the Mukwonago High School Auditorium open at 7:15, with material on the expansion available for viewing. The Blood Street Blues Band, a local jazz group, will provide entertainment until the curtain is ready to go up on the main event.
8:00-- the Main Event. Jim "Lips" LaBelle will be your host, and he will introduce the Premiere, an award-winning female quartet that are part of the Sweet Adelines.
John McGivern, local storyteller, actor and radio personality will take the stage after Premiere is done to bring you some of his one-of-kind stories and reminiscences.

This will be an awesome night of entertainment, food, community spirit and most of all, fun. And all the money will go to the Library's expansion, helping to ensure that Mukwonago has a top-notch cultural center that is good for everyone.

Details on the event are available here. Details on the expansion, and how you can help us reach our goal, are available here. Please, call the library with any questions, or send an email to us.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Super-Dooper, Splendid, Spectacular, Stupendous, Simply Sensational, End-of-Summer Scavenger Hunt is HERE!

The Library's Summer Reading Program ends on Saturday, Aug. 7, but there's still fun to be had at the Mukwonago Community Library before the summer is over. All families with school-age children are eligible to participate in the SDSSSSSEoS Scavenger Hunt. One lucky family will win a $100 Kohl's gift certificate, and every family that successfully completes the hunt will receive a special prize.

This contest ends Friday, August 27 at 4:00 pm, but don't wait to start until the last minute-- there are 50, yes five-zero, items on the list and all of them need to be brought into the library and verified to qualify for the drawing for the $100 gift card.

Full rules and the scavenger hunt list are available in the Library, but here's just a small taste of the things you and your family will be hunting for:

#6: Fly Swatter
#17: Stick of White Chalk
#33: Steel Wool
#39: Blue Crayon
#47: Coin Purse

Expansion Planning Update

The Library's plans for expanding and renovating are coming together nicely. Check out the newest plans below. This isn't the final look for the building, but it is getting close.

The image above shows the expanded library from the south looking down, toward the north. This image lets you see the look of the new library's roof line and, roughly, how the parking will look on the east and southeast portions of our lot.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Not Just Nautical Knots-- TONIGHT!

Join us this evening at 5 bells (6:30 pm for landlubbers like me) for a presentation on knot tying and much more. Which side is port and which starboard? Come find out! Craig Grisham, technology support person here at the library, will be your host for an informative and fun evening of nautical terminology and knot tying techniques. He will also relate a few of his exploits on the open seas.

There will be prizes for sailors 12 and under and fun to be had by all. Make sure to find out why five bells is 6:30-- I'm sure there is a good reason, but I can't imagine what it might be.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Summer is Here!

School's out and summer has begun (okay, officially it is still four days off, but once school's out, summer is here). The place to be cool this summer is the Mukwonago Community Library. There is simply tons of cool, "wet" and "watery" things happening here during June, July and August-- the theme this year is "Make a Splash at the Mukwonago Library".

Next week alone we have a Pirate Pajama Party at 6:30 pm on Tuesday the 22nd. The next morning, join us at 10 am for "Silly Songs and Stories." Teens can play many of their favorite Wii games in the afternoon, 1:30-3:30 pm on Wed., June 23. That night, you can be a detective, or a suspect, in the Library's Murder Mystery Party: Hulas and Homicides, 6:00-8:30 pm. Thursday is lapsit storytime at 10 am, then Ocean Origami for grades 4-8 at 2:00 pm.

And those are just the one-time events. The weekly reading challenges are ongoing throughout the summer, with separate challenges for children, teens and adults. Join in the fun and you could win a cool prize in one of our raffles. Story and drawing challenges are also underway-- tell us about "The One That Got Away," or draw a sea monster. And we have a "Guess How Many Origami Frogs" contest open to children as well.

Later in the summer, we'll have our Second Annual Recipe Contest, a bunch of cool movies-- with water/fish themes, and a Hula dance troupe. Visit our Youth Services and Adult Services web pages for a full listing of what's going on. Or, stop in to the library and pick up our brochures that give a full listing of the special events and activities available throughout the summer.

Make Waves this summer-- at the Mukwonago Community Library!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Self-Check is Here!

The new self-check unit is installed and open for business! Just scan your library card, then scan your books and other materials one and a time, and voila, you are done. The unit will tell you your account status and print out a receipt for all of your check-outs. It's simple and fun!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Rant or Rave: The World Below

This is a Rant or Rave that I am surprised to be writing. Sue Miller is not "my kinda author". Frankly, though I had heard her name on a few occasions at the library, I really didn't know who she was, nor what kinds of books she wrote. It is sometimes difficult to break me out of my norms of historical fiction, classics, science fiction & fantasy and non-fiction. Certainly, if I was consciously to step outside those norms, I doubt Sue Miller would've even been on my list of potential authors to explore. Certainly, she would not have been near the top of that list.

Funny thing happened on the way to forum-- I heard Sue Miller speak at the Milwaukee Public Library Spring Literary Luncheon. More, I heard her read from her latest book, The Lakeshore Express. And I was impressed and engaged. Far more so than I expected. She was quite charming and interesting, and her book was good. Very good, actually.

So, upon returning to the Mukwonago Community Library, I checked to see if we had any of Ms. Miller's works on audiobook. And, lo and behold, we had The World Below on CD. And, lo and behold, it was good. Really, really good.

Oh, there are bits and pieces that don't quite fit, especially at the beginning, and there are a few places where the narrator describes events from the past in a level of detail and specificity far beyond what she could actually know about those events. But these are minor quibbles. The World Below references the human ability, skill and foible both, to present one version of yourself to the world, while maintaining a quite different perspective and history hidden below the surface. Known only to a few, and visible to others only at rare moments when circumstances are just right.

It resonated strongly with me, perhaps because from time to time, I find myself wondering what if? What if I had gone to prom with someone else? What if I had pursued a different course of study in college? What if I hadn't grown up in the country? What if, what if, what if? The World Below echoes those What Ifs, explores the ways we justify things in our past. Paper over some of the hurts and what ifs that didn't go at all the way we expected them to. It is a rich, deep look into human nature, particularly into the worlds we all create-- one on the surface, and one (maybe more) below.

The World Below is not an easy book. It twines together the life stories of several generations of one family, and following who is where is why is when can be challenging. But it is most definitely worth investing the necessary time and energy to fully appreciate. As an added bonus, it also does have a historical fiction section, as Miller's descriptions of Georgia Rice's stay in a Maine tuberculosis sanitarium added much to my understanding of what it must have been like to have TB in the early 20th century. I know of diseases like TB and polio, of course, but in a hypothetical "gee, that sounds bad" sort of way, rather than through any personal experience. Miller vividly transforms that theoretical understanding into something much more profound and personal with her elegant narrative.

It is a fine, fine book. Once I return from my current jaunt back into the classics (Great Expectations), I will give The Lakeshore Limited a read to see if it is as good, or better. Anyone else have any feedback on Sue Miller's work?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Budget Simulator

The size and growth of our nation's debt is an issue of concern to many, regardless of political affiliations or ideological preference. If you'd like to try your hand at reducing America's debt and developing a fiscally responsible federal budget, then go to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget's (CRFB) new budget simulator and give it your best shot.

It's an interesting exercise, and provides a pretty good overview of the areas where reductions can be achieved (though it makes no provisions for the actual political or social/cultural impacts of the various choices).

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Scoopie Night for the Library

Plan your dinner for Monday, May 24 at the Mukwonago Culver's, where 10% of your purchase will benefit the library's expansion and renovation project. In addition, library volunteers (myself and other staff members included) will be serving food during the promotion.

This event is only from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, so lunch at Culver's that day won't help the library (though the food will no doubt be tasty). You will need a flier for us to get credit, which you can print out here. Additional fliers will be available at Culver's that night.

Come out for butter burgers and frozen custard on Monday night and help the library out at the same time-- Win/Win!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Self-Check Coming!

The library has ordered a self-checkout station, and it should be installed before the start of the Summer Reading Programs. This station will allow you to check out materials by simply scanning your card, then scanning the items you wish to check out. The process is very similar to the machines they now have at many grocery, department and home improvement stores.

Waukesha, New Berlin and many other libraries around the state and the country are using these stations, and all report that their customers find them easy to use and very convenient. The new checkout station will be just to the east of the circulation desk, where one of the catalog access computer stations is right now.

Holds, ILL and video game items will still need to be picked up at the circulation desk, but the rest of our materials should be able to be checked out at the new station once it is up and running.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Rant or Rave: Dracula

In my continuing quest to catch up on "classic literature" that I should've read in high school or college, but didn't, I listened to Dracula last month. It was quite good, though if it weren't the first vampire novel, I doubt it would have lasted this long and generated so much follow-up literature. Parts of it are terribly melodramatic, in the 19th century tradition of idealized romance and British propriety, while a few parts make you roll your eyes at the obtuseness of the main characters.

Obtuse until you remind yourself that the characters aren't steeped in vampire lore, the way much of the western world is. The concept that Count Dracula could form from fog, or transform into a bat, or command wolves was brand new to everyone when Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897. So, you can forgive the main characters most of their complete blockheadedness in regards to the Count's activities.

Three interesting tidbits from Dracula that I had no idea about before reading it:

It is written entirely in the form of diary entries, newspaper articles and personal narratives. There is no "omniscient author". It gives the novel a very different feel than we are used to today, and also provides a fascinating glimpse into turn-of-the-century British mores and customs.
In addition to introducing the concept of vampires into popular culture, as well as the singularly evil Count Dracula, the novel also introduced the world to the stereotypical insane asylum resident, often caricatured in cartoons. In the novel, the patient Renfield plays a significant role, and Stoker's depiction of his psychosis and reaction to the proximity of the Count are clearly the inspiration for many portrayals of a "typical" madman on stage and screen.
Dracula also introduced the character of Van Helsing to the world. A dutch doctor who also happens to be familiar with the legends and myths of the eastern European lands. Van Helsing, though physically vibrant for his age, is far more intellectual and philosophical in Dracula than he is often portrayed as in later movies. Certainly NOT like the ripped, action-figuresque Hugh Jackman from the 2004 film.

The ending to Dracula is a bit abrupt, and far too conveniently coincidental for my tastes, but overall it is quite a fun read. In addition to the main storyline, the novel also provides some interesting insight into the culture, beliefs and science of its time. A fascinating century-plus long look backwards. So-- a fairly enthusiastic Rave for Dracula.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Back in the Saddle Again

Sorry for the long pause in posting. April wound up being a very busy month. Lots of programming and events, coupled with a significant increase in expansion project activity. April saw Spring Break week, Earth Day activities and more.

May will be busy too, partly in preparation for our Summer Reading Program challenges and events, but also with its own fun events. Registration for the children's and adult's summer reading challenge begins June 1, with the kickoff date of Monday, June 14. Join in the fun! This year's theme is a beach/water-related one, with Make A Splash @ the Mukwonago Community Library for the kids and Ride the Title Wave @ the Mukwonago Community Library for our adult patrons.

Join us Monday, May 24 between 4:30 and 7:30 at the Mukwonago Culver's for Scoopie Night. Bring along a flier and 10% of your order will be donated to the library's expansion fund. Copies of the flier are available to be printed off of our website. Details on the expansion project and its progress are available here.

Several Rant and Rave segments to come, as I have been listening and reading during the past month, just not posting as much (okay, at all). For details on other summer events and programs, be sure to check out our Youth Services web page and our Adult Services web page. You can also follow us on Facebook.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Food For Fines

Coming in May: Our second Food For Fines drive. For each non-perishable food item received, we will reduce your fines by $1.00. The maximum reduction is $20, and the reduction does not apply to lost items or fines from other libraries.

Expired food will NOT be accepted.

The drive runs from Monday, May 10 through Saturday, May 15.

Food will be donated to the two Mukwonago Food Pantries.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Stuff this Week

A busy week, so my apologies for not posting more and providing more advanced notice-- remember, you can always check our online calendar to see what's happening as well. So, it the spirit of better late than never, here's a breakdown of the remaining Spring Break week at the library:

Tonight, Tuesday April 6: Job Hunting Workshop; 6:30-7:45
Tomorrow, Wednesday April 7: Pigeon Party-- fun and games for K-2nd graders; 2:00 pm
Thursday, April 8: Mad Hatter Tea Party-- enjoy tea and crumpets while make a mad creation; grades 7-12, 2:00 pm
Friday, April 9: Game day-- we'll have a Wii station (but only one), and a variety of board games.

Next Tuesday, April 13, LaBak the magician will be here for an evening of magic and fun, starting at 7:00 pm.

Join us at the library!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Rant or Rave: Uncle Tom's Cabin

As part of my "Catching up on all the books I probably should've read when I was younger but somehow never got around to," tour of literature, I recently read Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Classic title, about which I knew next to nothing except that it was vehemently anti-slavery and had a major impact on the abolition movement in the mid-1800s, culminating ultimately in the Civil War. That's about it. Things I did not know about Uncle Tom's Cabin:

It was the best-selling novel of the 19th Century, selling over 300,000 copies in its first year of publication, and the second-best selling book to the Bible.
It was made into a multitude of different plays and dramatic performances during the second half of the 19th Century, none of them authorized by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
That there was a controversy regarding Stowe's descriptions of southern slave life since she never actually visited any southern plantations, relying instead on written narratives and interviews with escaped slaves.
My understanding that the Uncle Tom character of the book was a race traitor, a figure to be scorned, even a villain, came from the unauthorized plays and 20th Century literary criticism, not from the book itself.

The writing in Uncle Tom's Cabin is good. Not great, but good. Actually, at its best it is great, but the book is quite uneven-- some sections are extremely engaging and well-written, while others suffer from either heavy-handed "preaching" from the author or over the top melodramatic prose.

But while Stowe's actual writing is inconsistent, the story and the subject of the book are not-- her vivid depiction of the evils of slavery, the negative, nearly inconceivable harm it did to so many people-- comes through brilliantly. To get a true sense of what slavery was like as little as 150 years ago, read this book.

So, a nearly unqualified rave for Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is a powerful, generally well-written and engaging story that will give you a new appreciation for just how awful an institution slavery was, and is, in our world. The only qualification is to be aware that at times the author does interject herself too much into the narrative-- telling, rather than showing-- and this can be distracting and annoying on occasion.

Final note-- if anyone ever calls you an Uncle Tom, simply smile at them and say "thank you." It will likely confuse them, and then you can tell them that Uncle Tom was a compassionate, kind and spiritual man, who always helped others and sacrificed himself to protect others from harm and injustice. Stowe's book is a Christian book, strongly grounded in 19th Century Protestant Theology, and Uncle Tom is in many ways a Christ-like figure. Never violent, willing to bear physical and emotional wrongs stoically to help others with the support of his faith, Uncle Tom is not a race traitor or a subservient whipping boy. He is a strong, principled man who doesn't compromise his beliefs even when it costs him severe beatings.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Signs of Spring

It was quite pleasant out this afternoon-- sunny, low 40's, hint of warmth and growth on the breeze. Rotund rodent from Pennsylvania to the contrary, it seems that maybe spring is at least dabbling its toe in the waters around this area. Felt good.

Some other signs that spring is preparing to enter, stage right:

The first baseball game of spring training was on the radio yesterday. What a treat and a thrill to hear Bob Uecker's unmistakable commentary-- Brewers fans are lucky to have Mr. Baseball calling their games. He will be missed when he retires.
Girl Scout cookies have arrived! As a hopeless addict of the Thin Mints, the day of delivery for those yummy little cookies is always a happy one.
The first green sprouts can be seen, here and there. Daffodils, I think, but I'm not certain-- I don't have a brown thumb, but it isn't green, either.
The college basketball season is winding down, with March Madness visible in the distance.

Spring isn't my favorite season, but I do enjoy the sense of rebirth and new possibilities it brings after the cold and huddled indoorsness of winter. 50 degrees or bust!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Bad Predictions Review

During the NFL football season, I enjoy reading Gregg Easterbrook's weekly column Tuesday Morning Quarterback at espn.com. After the football season is over, I love his annual Bad Predictions Review column-- because many of the things the so-called "experts" and "pundits" predicted were so horribly wrong! And because experts and pundits rarely get called to the carpet for their really awful predictions-- though many are quick to highlight the predictions they nailed.

The whole column is a blast to read, but here are a few of the predictions that were particularly awful, and amusing:

Tom Curran of MSNBC forecast Percy Harvin as a draft bust: Harvin was Offensive
Rookie of the Year.

John Clayton of ESPN Predicted:

... a Super Bowl of Steelers over Giants; neither team made the playoffs. He
used an incredibly scientifically advanced formula to predict the Bears,
Bills, Browns, Redskins, Seahawks and Texans would make the playoffs; none did.
Clayton forecast the Saints to finish 8-8; they won the Super Bowl. He said the
Jets would finish 6-10; they reached the AFC Championship Game.

For kicks, there are some horrendously wrong non-football picks included in the column as well. Including this beauty:

In 2002, Joseph Stiglitz, who had just won the Nobel Prize for Economics, and
Peter Orszag, who is now director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote this paper which concludes "the risk to the government from
a potential default on [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] debt is effectively zero."
Stiglitz and Orszag claimed to have used a computer model to run "millions of
potential future scenarios" and found there could never be any situation in
which taxpayers were harmed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans. So far, the
Fannie-Freddie bailout has cost taxpayers $112 billion, with a potential
ultimate loss to taxpayers of $1.9 trillion.

Aye Carumba! Anyway, check out the whole thing. It is well-worth the read, even if you aren't a football fan.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Rant or Rave: Star Trek

Yes, I'm a little behind the times, but I finally got a chance to watch last year's "reboot" of the Star Trek series. It was an enjoyable film all the way around, with some good acting, an interesting recasting of the origins of Captian Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the gang.

I was skeptical at first when nearly all of the original crew

members of significance meet, or already know each other, before being assigned to the Enterprise. But after it becomes clear that this is an alternative future and not meant to be the exact past of the original series it makes more sense. As with most time travel scenarios, it doesn't necessarily make complete sense, because we don't even know that time travel is possible, much less how it actually works, but it is believable enough to allow the suspension of disbelieve and to enjoy the show.

The visual effects are terrific, the bad guy is pretty good, though not on a par with Khan or the Borg, the two best bad guys in the Star Trek universe, and the plot holds together pretty well. Toss in some good to very good acting and a pretty well-written script and you've got a fun new addition to the Star Trek pantheon. A guest appearance by Leonard Nimoy is very good, and the way that Scottie is re-introduced to the crew is quite fun.

Ovearll, the film does a nice job of retaining the core "feel" of the original series and Enterprise crew while still re-imaging enough of the original show connections (Spock and Kirk despising each other, Sulu as a martial artist as well as a navigator, etc.) to keep things fresh. The time travel scenario is a little strained, but less so than most time travel storylines-- you can tell the writers put some time into thinking through how time travel might actually work and to incorporate that into the plot.

So, a fairly strong rave for Star Trek. As a definite Trekkie (as opposed to a Star Warsian), I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to future storylines in the alternative timeline established in this film. Will they revisit some of the Enterprise's more memorable encounters, but with a different dynamic to the crew and some variations to the ultimate outcomes? Or, just develop brand new adventures? Either way, it could be a lot of fun and I hope future films are as good or better than this one.

Monday, March 1, 2010

New Book Cart!

The March book cart is now open for business-- this month brought to you by The Three Stooges! Yes, it is idiots and dummies month, wherein we feature many, though not all, of the Complete Idiot's Guide to... and the ... for Dummies books. We have Complete Idiot's Guides to financial planning, natural remedies, job interviews, chemistry and much more. Or, if you prefer, Raising Chickens, Acrylic Painting, and Beekeeping for Dummies (not all in one book-- those are three separate titles. Though a Raising Chickens and Bees While Painting with Acrylics for Dummies book would be interesting!).

There's a lot of great titles available in these two series, so check out the cart and see if we can help unidiotify or dedummy you on some topic you've always wondered about but never explored. Personally, I'll be checking out Facebook for Dummies when it comes back in. Possibly The Complete Idiot's Guide to Speed Reading in the meantime.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Reference Librarians rock it again!

Recently, a patron told me "I wanted a picture of my great grandfather's tombstone (located in a far western state) that was located on private property. The person I contacted about it wanted TEN DOLLARS for the picture! When I told Mary Jo, Reference Librarian Extraordinaire, she said...."Let me work on it." Within a short time, she had obtained the same full color picture for me for free!"
Hidden behind the librarian's (usually) mild exterior lies a tremendous resource. There is no question about the veracity of the popular bumper sticker:
Ask and a Librarian will tell you where to go!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Brett Favre: Top 5 Ever?

So on the eve of the Super Bowl, it is always interesting to talk about who is the greatest at various positions, with quarterback being the most intriguing. Completely un-library related, but still a good topic to debate-- is Brett Favre one of the five greatest QBs of all time?

Interesting question, one that was debated on the local sports radio program last week. My take on it? In a word, No. He's a great QB, probably top 10 all time, but there are two factors that take him out of the running for top 5. 1) He holds the record for most Interceptions all-time. Partially a factor of his longevity, yes, but more a function of factor 2) The dude is too reckless, too impulsive, too much of a gunslinger to be rated at the same level as Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Johnny Unitas.

The latest meltdown in the NFC Championship Game pretty much illustrates the point-- no, it was not Favre's fault that the Vikings put the ball on the ground as many times as they did, but once they started doing that, once the game was close despite the Vikings superior overall play, he felt the need to make a play. Force a play. And he did. And it probably cost the Vikings a trip to the Super Bowl.

A veteran QB, a future first-ballot Hall-of-Fame QB, has to know, simply has no excuse not to know, that the one thing you can't do is turn the ball over. At the end of the game, in field goal range, you simply must not give the ball away or take a sack that takes you out of field goal range. But Favre tried to make a play, to "sling it" into a place that he had busy trying to hit and which was absolutely disastrous for his team.

Do you recall Joe Montana doing that? Ever? Elway, Manning, Unitas, even Brady? Aikman, Bradshaw, Starr? They all make mistakes, and Elway tried to force some balls that he had no business trying to force, but not at the critical moment in the game where an interception absolutely destroys your teams chances.

So, despite all the records, all the great throws and unbelievable plays, Brett Favre is simply not one of the best 5 Quarterbacks ever. He has now cost two teams a chance to go to the Super Bowl by making a really bad decision at a really critical point in the game. A pretty good case can be made that Brett Favre should've appeared in at least four Super Bowls, but only made two because of his own flaws.

For the record, I'd take Joe Montana as the greatest QB in history, but if Peyton Manning wins today, and gets back to the Super Bowl a time or two more, I might have to reconsider that conclusion.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Great New Business Database!

The new ReferenceUSA Residential Module is now available! Check it out-- the residential module is a very useful tool for businesses who sell products and services directly to consumers. It's also great for just finding reliable directory information. You can access this excellent new database, plus a variety of other business resources from the Waukesha County Federated Library System's (WCFLS) Business Resources page: http://www.wcfls.lib.wi.us/business/

Thursday, February 4, 2010

I Didn't Realize It Had Been That Long

One of my favorite comic strips of all-time is Calvin & Hobbes. Brilliant, hilarious, irreverent and often touching it was one of the few strips I looked forward to reading every day. Just came across a recent interview with the strip's creator, Bill Watterson, where it points out that Calvin and Hobbes went "dark" fifteen years ago.

Wow.

One of those thudding realizations that a big chunk of life somehow went by in what feels like a brief flash. Fifteen years ago I was single (and had just met my wife to be), had no children, had a cat instead of a dog, was living in an apartment on the east side of Milwaukee and was bartending to support myself while I went back to grad school to get my Masters degree in library and information science. Yikes.

It's a fascinating interview, although a very brief one. It is well worth a read, and an interesting look into Watterson's perspective on his own art. If you'd like to revisit those bygone strips with the incorrigible Calvin and his best friend Hobbes, the library has several collections of the strip. They are in our non-fiction section, under the call number 741.5 WAT.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Expansion Meeting Tonight

There is a Village of Mukwonago Board of Trustees meeting this evening, Feb. 2, at the village hall. The hall is located at 440 River Crest Court (behind the NAPA store on ES/Main St.) and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm. A major portion of the evening's agenda will deal with the Library's expansion plans, so if you are interested in our expansion project, please stop down.

We'll have drawings of the newest version of the expansion available for review, and the Library Board and the Village Board will be discussing financing and the future of the project.

Tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 pm at village hall. Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Rant or Rave: The Godfather

A commonly held believe amongst avid readers and book lovers is best summed up by the catch phrase: "Don't judge a book by its movie." Movies rarely manage to capture the magic, richness and character development of books, and many movie adaptations of good books are mediocre or even dreadful.

Another popular and widely held catch phrase is: "It is the exception that proves the rule."

The Godfather, by Mario Puzo, is the exception that proves the rule-- the movie IS better than the book. Indeed, Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 epic film is widely considered one of the finest films of all-time, coming in at #2 at IMDB and at AFI, as well as being in nearly every "best of" movie list ever created. The movie deserves its kudos-- it is brilliant in nearly all of its facets. But what of the book that was its genesis?

Written in 1969, The Godfather is a very good book, but it is most definitely not a great book. Puzo, at his best, captures the Sicilian and Mafioso lifestyles and mindsets extremely well, and there are many aspects of the book that provide additional content and context to the movie. Unfortunately, there is also a fair amount of extra, often comparatively dull, material in the book.

While the majority of the book follows the plot line most of us are familiar with from the movie, roughly a quarter of the book deals with events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. There, we follow the career of singer turned actor Johnny Fontaine, and also of Lucy Mancini, bridesmaid to Connie Corleone. Only briefly touched upon in the movie, these portions of the book often drag, and the characters frequently come across as more two-dimensional and stereotyped. Part of the difficulty with these parts may actually be that there is no film equivalent for them-- you can't picture Marlon Brando or Al Pacino saying the words.

A nice "extra" for the book is that it spends a little bit more time with Michael Corleone during his time in Sicily and provides more detail and back story to his whirlwind romance and wedding there. Additionally, the story of how Vito and the family finally manage to bring Michael home from Sicily safely is also intriguing and much more clearly defined in the book. And we spend a little more time with Kay and with Mama Corleone.

Overall, however, the book too often spends time on minor and even irrelevant topics, losing some of the pace and muscle of the movie. So, a qualified Rave for the textual version of The Godfather. It is certainly well-written and worth reading, both on its own merits and because it will help "fill in" some of the details that the film brushes past, but it is also most definitely the exception to the rule. The movie surpasses the novel in nearly all respects.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Online savings just a click away!

I have not used coupons much. It seems like a lot of trouble to scan the sale papers and cut out coupons. Half the time I am doing well just to find the scissors! But todayI saved five dollars with coupons I found on the internet.
I was looking at a report from a CAFE libraries workshop entitled "Handling House and Home in Hard Times" to see if the links would be useful to reproduce for our patrons, when I came across the website http://www.couponmom.com/ . The description was as follows: "Has coupons you can print, helps you find coupons, gives you strategies on how to use them to make them most effective, and a whole lot more". I always always ALWAYS check links before I recommend them to people and this one turned out to be a winner! You do have to register to make best use of the site, but I found it to be well worth it.

I have a copy of the report at the reference desk, which has dozens of other links to useful websites such as http://www.cheapcooking.com/ for information on food savings, http://www.gasbuddy.com/. where you can search for cheapest gas prices in your area, or http://home.ivillage.com/, which contains information on everything from home organizing to budgeting.

Sometimes it is worth the trouble to look around.......now, where did I put those scissors?

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Family Film Night

Tonight we have a 6 pm showing of the recent animated movie about food raining from the sky and spaghetti tornados. Based on the well-loved children's book, the movie got good reviews and is a lot of fun, so stop in! Bring along a pillow and blanket, or sleeping bag, or even a bean bag chair if you wish.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Actual Reality TV

Full Disclaimer: There is nothing Library related in this post. Also, I don't watch a lot of TV and virtually no "reality" TV. Dabbled in the Amazing Race a few years ago, that's about it (except for a very strange diversion with the family one night when we watched "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" and all had a blast with just how crazy the games were). But I digress. To my sensibilities, the only actual reality based TV is... sports.

Now, point shaving NBA referee scandals aside, sports are completely unscripted. Bizarre things happen. Games that everyone expects to be low scoring affairs wind up as offensive shootouts. And vice-versa. Superstars make boneheaded plays. People that nobody except their families have ever heard of make the big play to win the game. You never know what is going to happen next, and even sure bets sometimes aren't-- case in point, even the Detroit Lions are showing signs of being a legitimate NFL team!

A less snarky example is yesterday's painful, but incredibly entertaining, Packers game. This would be the script if it weren't an actual, live sporting event:

Team A commits several boneheaded errors early in the game, allowing Team B to jump out to a big lead. Team B is driving for another score, one that will pretty much put this game away early in the second quarter, then-- BAM! Team A forces a fumble and recovers. Not quite dead, yet. Time for scrappy Team A to counter-punch.

Showing plenty of grit and determination, Team A scores a touchdown and begins to chip away at Team B's lead, a challenge because not only are they already down big, but their defense is having a terrible time slowing down, much less stopping Team B. But they go into half-time down 14 and still hanging in there.

The second half is a crazy shootout. Touchdown Team B-- 21 point lead, game over? Not even close. Touchdown Team A. Onside Kick! Team A recovers! On fourth down, Touchdown Team A! Now it's only a 7 point game. Momentum is on Team A's side, right? Maybe not. Team B scores a touchdown in a minute and a half. Team A responds, goes 80 yards and scores a touchdown in 3 and a half minutes.

Finally, Team A stops Team B from scoring and gets the ball back, early in the fourth quarter, down by a touchdown. Three plays and less than a minute later, touchdown! Game tied! But wait, there's more!

Team B takes the ball and scores again, this time an extended, 11-play, 6 plus minute drive. Less than five minutes left. Team A takes the kick and goes 71 yards, touchdown! But, oh no! They did it too quickly. Team B still has nearly 2 minutes left and only needs a field goal. Bing, bang, boom-- they've driven it down to the 16 yard line with 14 seconds left, leaving only a chip shot field goal for the victory. Boom goes the kick and it's... NOT over! Team B's kicker pulls it wide left! Overtime.

Would anybody buy that? A TV exec would read that script and probably laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all. No way Team A converts an onside kick AND a fourth and 5. No way the teams combine for 56 points in the second half. And ABSOLUTELY no way that Team B's kicker misses from point blank range to keep this craziness going into overtime. Maybe, if the kick were a long one-- 52 yards or some such-- but not a little 34 yard job. It's just too improbable.

BUT... if it all played out that way in a TV or movie script, you just know that Team B is now toast. After struggling all the way back from 17-0 down, nearly 24-0, Team A is now destined to win. They just have to-- it's what the script dictates.

And lo, so it seems it will happen. Team A wins the coin flip, and the play is there. First play in overtime: a deep middle post to Team A's big play receiver, who has two steps on his defender and is gone for the touchdown! Except that the pass was just a little off the mark, incomplete. Two plays later, sack, fumble and touchdown Team B!

Phew. Would anybody write it that way? Would anybody believe it if it wasn't actually happening? It was crazy, and nearly unbelievable. Sports is the best, and really the only reality TV. So-called reality shows have a goodly dollop of reality to them, but they are edited, and even directed in many cases. The people on the shows are selected by the creators of the show and many of the twists and turns that impact the people in the "reality" show are known and planned by the creators of the show. Not so sports. You never know if you'll get an epic upset (NC State over Villanova in 1983 anyone?) or boring old blowout (Florida destroying Cincinnati in this year's Sugar Bowl). Sports rule!

Now, since in the above example Team A was my beloved Packers and Team B was the "I'm okay with them, but not a fan" Arizona Cardinals, this was a deflating loss. But, I am curiously philosophic about the game-- it was the Packers' first post-Brent Farve playoff game. They are very young, learning a new scheme on defense, playing on the road against a team lead by a likely hall-of-fame QB who played one of the best games of his career. And they were THIS close to winning. They could easily have folded up their tents and slunk away into the off-season after two early turnovers and a 17-0 hole. They didn't. Rodgers played great, setting a Packers' post-season record for yards, and we should have a playoff contending team for several years now, hopefully longer if we can improve our offensive and defensive lines (they went from bad to mediocre over the course of this season, but mediocre still isn't good enough).

So, bravo to the 2009 Packers who played better than I expected and showed a lot of heart and talent despite losing yesterday. And I now become a New Orleans Saints fan and also look forward to March Madness. Go Saints, Go Badgers, Go Golden Eagles!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

BBB Books: The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons

Monty Python's Flying Circus was, and is, a tour de force of comedy, satire, cultural insight, and good old-fashioned belly laughs. It was crude, it was rude, it was exquisitely funny and it was, perhaps above all, so quintessentially British (even though one of them was American). The Pythons: Autobiography by The Pythons is Big-- oversize coffee-table format and over 300 pages in length-- Beautiful-- chock full of photographs and screen captures from the show-- and, Bold-- could it be anything else, being Python?-- but is also an extremely good history of those six crazy lads from Britain (ok, four crazy Englishmen, one crazy Welshman, and one crazy American).

It is also a great history of their show and subsequent movies. How they actually wrote and performed the skits. The different influences each member had on the show. Terry Gilliam's recollections of how primitively he did his animations. Their transition to movies. The interactions of six brilliant, but radically different, personalities. The effect of fame and recognition on them. Outstanding.

On top of all that, this book really is in many ways an autobiography of Monty Python. Each of the members: Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman and John Cleese has a portion at the front of the book talking about their youth and family. Photographs from childhood and prep schools. There are recollections by each Python on how they met the other Pythons. Diary excerpts and interviews discussing how they got started, what the creative process was like, the impact of their growing fame on the group's dynamic.

Beyond the individuals, there is also a true autobiography of the troupe. The way Terry Jones and Michael Palin tended to write with each other, ditto John Cleese and Graham Chapman, with Eric Idle contributing on his own or to both of the other pairings and Gilliam's animation rolled into the mix as well. How they decided on what bits got in and which bits didn't. The filming process and how changes in their lives (various romances, Graham Chapman's drinking, etc.) affected the group.

Great stuff. Fascinating stuff. All of it simultaneously serious and completely irreverent, in typical Python fashion. If you are a Monty Python fan, you will enjoy this big, bold, beautiful book whether you read it cover to cover, sample bits and pieces, or simply browse the pictures and captions. It is in our Oversize collection with call #: 791.45028 PYTHONS

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Upcoming and Ongoing Events

A heads up on a few upcoming events, plus some ongoing activities:
Upcoming

Family Film Night, Tuesday, Jan. 12 @ 6:00 pm. Strange, food-based weather is the center of this movie (which, because of licensing restrictions we can't actually name) based on a well-loved children's book. Bring a pillow, sleeping bag or bean bag chair and some snacks!
Origami Workshops, Monday, Jan. 25 and Friday, March 5 @ 3 pm. These workshops are open to 4th-12th graders. Previous experience is helpful, but not necessary.
Wacky Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 18 (Teens only, grades 7-12) and Friday, Feb. 19 (grades K-6), both at 3:00 pm. Not quite the bobsled or ice hockey, but we will have marshmallow shot put and potato hockey.
Winter Wisconsin Winters with Books: Adult Reading Challenge. Enter each week starting January 18 and running through March 17. Weekly prizes. Full details here.

Ongoing

Pop Open a Good Book: Winter Reading Challenge. Open to grades K-12, the challenge runs through February 13. It's not too late to come in and sign up.
Magazine Title Scramble. Open to grades 7-12. Correctly unscramble a list of magazine titles for a chance to win a 1-year subcription to your favorite magazine (some exclusions apply. Value not to exceed $40).
Guess How Many Kernels of Popcorn Contest. Guess how many kernels of popcorn are in a container in our display case and you could win the PASS THE POPCORN game. To be eligible, you must not go over the number of kernels. Open to students in grades K-12.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Rant or Rave: Rose Parade Edition

Watched much of the Rose Parade with my family yesterday. Great fun. My wife, Jenn, and I lived about three blocks off the parade route 12 years ago, and it was very cool to roll out of bed on New Year's day, walk a couple of blocks (with temps in the 60s) and enjoy the floats.

Of course, we lived towards the end of the route and things are a little different there then at the beginning where the TV cameras are. At the end of the route, the floats are a little less... dynamic than at the beginning. The trucks underneath the huge, floral creations breakdown causing large breaks in the flow. As I remember, the longest break we had was about 45 minutes long.

On top of that, many of the floats with moving bits are broken by the time the parade is over. One of the floats we saw was a bee, with moving arms and antennas-- very cute and cool. Except that by the end, two of its arms were dangling by its side, completely useless, and one of its antenna was just kind of spastically twitching, instead of swiveling smoothly.

So, a rave for watching the Rose Parade-- good fun, and the announcers aren't too horrible (unlike the New Year's Eve hosts/hostesses). But, an even bigger rave for attending in person. You get to hang with the other New Year's Day celebrants, watch some cool floats, and see some cool floats fall apart. As an additional plus, you can also go see the floats being constructed days in advance of the parade at the Rose Bowl, which is really cool. It's an amazing process.

Some day I hope to go back and see another parade in person. Ideally, I'd like to take my kids with me.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Happy (almost) New Year!

2009 was a good year. A lot of progress was made on the expansion front, both in “concrete” terms—building plans,

drawings, cost estimates, etc.—and in “soft” terms—building connections to the community. We are always looking for suggestions and other feedback, so please let us know your thoughts on expansion!

Visits and check-outs were both up and demand for the library’s computer stations was up significantly. We had some terrific programs during the year, and another hugely successful summer reading program. The Winter Reading Challenge is in full swing right now, and plans for the Summer are already in the works.

Our collection was further weeded in 2009, a process begun in December of 2008, and nearly all areas of our holdings have now been weeded. While still short of stack space, the weeding has allowed us to add new titles and formats to our holdings and even provide us with a little space to grow into until the expansion is ready.

Thanks to the generosity of many of our patrons we are closer than ever to our fundraising goal, plus we have some new CD racks, a beautiful “Tree of Giving” in the lobby and will soon have wireless printing. It’s been a great year, and we’re looking for even better things in 2010!

Happy New Year everyone!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Rant or Rave: Treasure Island

I've been going old school lately, catching up on some of the classics I know I should've read when I was younger and never quite got around to. Hence, my last entry, Around the World in Eighty Days, and the current Rant or Rave title, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. I've seen a variety of Treasure Island movies, including the muppet version (awesome, as nearly all things muppet are) and Disney's animated SciFi version Treasure Planet (not bad, with an interesting twist), but I had never read the actual book.

A big rave for the book for this simple reason: If you want to know how to talk like a pirate, THIS is your book. The parlance of the pirate is pretty good in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but the lingo is better in this one. Far more authentic feeling, perhaps because it was written at a time when there really were still pirates around, not a hundred plus years after the fact. Indeed, much of what makes the Pirates of the Caribbean series so much fun was done first in Treasure Island.

Beyond the dialog, this is just a fun read. Full of adventure, danger, treasure and all the fun things of youth with a dollop of coming-of-age, morality and the search for a father figure thrown in for good measure. The novel is a fairly quick read, but it is fun throughout, with enough variation from the subsequent versions I have seen that I wasn't even certain how the plot line would unfold or the story conclude. Treasure Island is a terrific book for anyone over the age of eight, or thereabouts, who likes a good adventure story or wants to learn how to really talk like a pirate.

For an extra special treat, listen to the audiobook of the novel, read by Michael Page. It is a terrific piece of narration, one that really captures the cadence and quality of the pirates' language.

School's Out-- Come In to the Library

We hope everyone enjoy's their break and has a wonderful Christmas. With school out next week, stop down to the Library. You can sign up the kids (grades K-12) for our winter reading program, Pop Open a Good Book; every reader who completes the challenge will receive an ice cream coupon and a raffle ticket for a chance to win the Grand Prize. Enter the "Guess How Many Kernels of Popcorn" contest while you're here for a chance to win the Pass the Popcorn game.

On Tuesday, Dec. 29, we'll have a movie double feature. At 2 p.m. a group of guinea pigs-- with the aid of a fly and a cockroach (no, really)-- will attempt to save the world (naturally-- it's amazing how often the world needs saving). Later, at 6 p.m., a teenage wizard and his friends (who could they be?) will have to... wait for it... save the world! This is movie #6 in the series, and it is quite good, so bring a pillow and blanket, sleeping bag or bean bag chair and snuggle in for the show. As a bonus, there's no school the next day! Extra double bonus-- popcorn will be served!

Wednesday, December 30: FWii 4 All!

No school—come play! Everyone is invited to Wii with us from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Some great new games will be available to “test drive” including New Super Mario Bros. Wii andLego Rock Band. Traditional favorites like Super Smash Bros. and Wii Sports Resort will also be available.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

BBB Books: Stalag Wisconsin

Did you know that Wisconsin was a popular destination for WWII German Prisoners of War? Neither did I up until about two years ago while I was doing research for my history of Caledonia and I came across this book:

There were PoW camps all over the place!

It was pretty common for the German PoWs to be "hired" out to local farmers to help cultivate and harvest crops-- something there was a high demand for since most of the able-bodied men of the country were off fighting in Europe or the Pacific. The prisoners were low-risk, no SS or high-level Nazi officers, and many of them were highly educated individuals, often professionals. Guards from the PoW camps would go along to keep an eye on the Germans, but they rarely caused any trouble.

It is a fascinating and little known chapter in Wisconsin's history, but one well worth checking out. Waukesha County had a PoW camp in Genesee, where 280 prisoners were held in two barns (p. 132-137). Stalag Wisconsin has over 75 photographs (says so right on the cover, so I know it is true!), and some of them are quite cool (see p. 85-88). The book is available in our non-fiction area under the call#: 940.5472775 COW

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Fun Sites for the Holidays

Here are a few websites to visit for some Holiday frivolity:

Elf Yourself. From the clever folks at JibJab, with underwriting by OfficeMax to keep it free, elfyourself.com is a fun, and surprisingly easy (they've really improved the interface from last year) way to send funny holiday emails to your friends and family.
Chin Carolers. They don't sing the entire song, unfortunately, but they do know the refrain from an awful lot of holiday tunes. (Hat Tip: Lois Duckey)
Tracking Santa Claus. NORAD tracks Mr. C's progress around the world.
Design Your Own Gingerbread House. Pretty intuitive and inventive. Allows for truly artistic creations, or just plain silly stuff, like adding a fish to your gingerbread house.
Christmas eCards. A variety of cards are available: some funny, some religious, some animated. 123greetings also has non-Holiday cards-- all for free.
Christmas Screensavers. If you want to make your computer more festive, this is a good website for you.

Most of these sites have advertising of some sort or other, which is why they are free, but the intrusion level isn't too bad. Have fun!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Upcoming Events

Tonight, Tuesday, December 15: Expansion Open House

At 6:30 this evening there will be an open house regarding the library's expansion plans at Village Hall. Please join us for an informative and exciting look at where we're heading. At 7:30 there will be a village board meeting which will include a further discussion of expansion.

Monday, December 21: Pop Open a Good Book

The start of our winter reading challenge "Pop Open a Good Book". Registration begins on the 21st and every reader who completes the reading challenge will receive an ice cream coupon and a raffle ticket for a chance to win the Grand Prize.

Tuesday, December 29: Harry Potter for the Holidays

Join us Tuesday, December 29 at 6 p.m. for a showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bring a pillow and blanket, sleeping bag or bean bag chair and snuggle in for the show. As a bonus, there's no school the next day! (Though there is Wii play at the Library)

Wednesday, December 30: Wii Play
No school—come play! Everyone is invited to Wii with us from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Some great new games will be available to “test drive” including New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Lego Rock Band.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Bold, Bizarre, Beautiful Books

This will be an ongoing, occasional series of posts highlighting some of the cool, strange, and beautiful books we have at the Mukwonago Community Library that most of us don't know exist. No particular criteria for inclusion other than I found them to be intriguing and/or fun and want to let others know about them as well.

BBBB #1: Skyscrapers

Over a foot-and-a-half in length, this book is a terrific photographic and historical review of skyscrapers and our fascination

with them. While this tall, but narrow, volume would serve well in a "coffee table" capacity, it is also chock full of fun details and intersting narratives about the quest to build the tallest buildings in the world. Why do we build up? What is our fascination, and sometimes dread, with being high up above all else?

This book examines those questions as well as providing some terrific photographs. It both eye-candy and history, rolled together with a little societal examination and exploration of human nature.

Particularly poignant is the section on the World Trade Center, pages 66-67, which opens with the following passage:

At 12:18 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 1993, everyone's worst urban nightmare came true: a bomb exploded in the World Trade Center (WTC), collapsing walls, igniting fires, and leaving 50,000 workers and visitors gasping for air and stranded in darkness in the shafts of the 110-story towers.

Of course, it turns out that wasn't the worst urban nightmare, only a foreshadowing of a far more horrific and tragic event.

Overall, though, this is a fun book and an informative one. It begins with ancient "skyscrapers" like the pyramids of Egypt and the Mayan temples in Central America and follows mankind's desire to build up all the way to the partially completed Kuningan Persada Tower in Jakarata, Indonesia.

Skyscrapers can be found in the oversize materials section, near the reference collection, under the call # OV720.483 Dupre.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Expansion Open House: Dec. 15

Join us in one week at village hall for a look at the preliminary plans for expansion! On Tuesday, December 15 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the village hall board room, the library and our architects will have drawings of what an expanded library might look like and how it might be arranged. Del Wilson, of Uihlein-Wilson Architects, will be available for questions, as will the Library Director and Library Board members.

Stick around at 7:30 for a Village Board meeting which will include a presentation about the expansion and a Q&A session with the Village Board members. As we head into a new year, it is time to get excited about all the terrific things an expanded and renovated library can offer the community!

Come on down to village hall, Tuesday, December 15 and see how our plans are progressing.

Mukwonago Community Library: Rooted in the Past, Growing for Tomorrow.

Rant or Rave: Around the World in 80 Days

Though I have seen movie adaptations of Jules Verne's classic story, and read some variations on the theme, I had never actually read Around the World in Eighty Days. This hole in my reading was recently addressed, and I must say in a most enjoyable fashion. As is usually the case with these things, this post will be a rave.

In and of itself, the story is a good one and Verne tells it very well. His characterizations of the unflappable, proper British gentleman, Phileas Fogg, and his overly emotional, volatile French valet, Passepartout, is both amusing and reflective of 19th century norms and mores. Their trip around the world is fascinating and fun and there is enough tension to keep the reader engrossed from beginning to end, even when knowing the ultimate resolution of the journey (as I did).

Beyond the story itself, however, was the great fun of being taken back in time by Verne. Though his contemporary, H.G. Wells, wrote The Time Machine, Verne's work most definitely serves as a trip backwards in time, to a different world. The flavor of a world deeply imprinted by British imperialism is clear throughout the book, and so to are Verne's depictions of 19th century India, China, and the American west.

Today's world truly is smaller than ever before, but a sense of the vastness of the earth for 19th century travelers can readily be found in Around the World in Eighty Days. Ship journeys took weeks, not days and transcontinental railways could be interupted by buffalo herds-- or require disembarkment because the rail lines haven't been completed (despite advertisements to the contrary).

So, a big rave for Verne's classic-- it holds up well more than a hundred years later. It is fun and it is fascinating as a travelogue of the past.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Reading List

Facebook has tons of little games, apps, notes, quizzes, and widgets flying around it. One that caught my eye was this one: "The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?"

Interesting question. Well, here's the list-- the ones that I have read have an X after them. How does your reading compare?

1 Pride and Prejudice -
2 The Lord of the Rings - X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte -
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - X
6 The Bible - X (much of it. I know I haven't read all of it)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte -
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - X

Section 1 = 5

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy -
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller - X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - (complete!?! Nope. A lot of them, but... wow)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier -
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien - X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk -
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - X
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger -
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot -

Section 2 = 4

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell -
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald) - X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens - X
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck - X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame - X

Section 3 = 6 (what a weird mix)

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens - X
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis - X
34 Emma - Jane Austen -
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini -
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres -
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden -
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X

Section 4 = 4

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving -
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins -
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery -
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy -
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan -

Section 5 = 3

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel -
52 Dune - Frank Herbert - X
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons -
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen -
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon -
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - X
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon -
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -

Section 6 = 2

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov -
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold -
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas - X
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac - X
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy -
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding -
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie -
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville -

Section 7 = 3

71 Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens - X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker - X
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson -
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -
76 The Inferno – Dante - X
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome -
78 Germinal - Emile Zola -
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray -
80 Possession - AS Byatt -

Section 8 = 4

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens - X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell -
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker -
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro -
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - X
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton -

Section 9 = 3

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery - X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks -
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams - X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole - X
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute -
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas - X
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare - X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo - X

Section 10 = 7

Total = 41

Cool-- now I have some more books to add to my reading list. And some of these I only vaguely remember, having read them in high school and college.