World Book Night USA

Yesterday was World Book Night! I applied months ago to be a World Book Night "Giver," and I was thrilled to be sent 20 copies of The Hunger Games to distribute here at the library.

Here's what WBN's website said about the event:















World Book Night is an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books. It will see tens of thousands of people go out into their communities to spread the joy and love of reading by giving out free World Book Night paperbacks. World Book Night, through social media and traditional publicity, will also promote the value of reading, of printed books, and of bookstores and libraries to everyone year-round. Successfully launched in the U.K. in 2011, World Book Night will also be celebrated in the U.S. in 2012, with news of more countries to come in future years.

What a neat idea! I feel lucky to have been a part of such a special day. I received my box of books about a week ago, and could hardly wait for the day to arrive.















All afternoon and evening yesterday I gave out copies of The Hunger Games to people who weren't getting books at the library. One of World Book Night's main goals was to give books to non-readers, so that's who I looked for.

I gave books to high schoolers working on a project, guys checking out movies (no books!), knitters, even one to a teacher to keep in his classroom.

People were surprised to get a free book (that they could keep! As opposed to free library books...), and I shared a little bit of my love for the series. Hopefully the people who received free books yesterday around the country will discover (or rediscover) a love for reading.

Around 50,000 volunteers distributed books yesterday all over the country. In subways, in stores, on street corners... 30 different titles were given away by people passionate about reading. Check out the list below and pick one up the next time you're in the library!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Blood Work by Michael Connelly

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

The Stand by Stephen King

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Laura
On behalf of the ACL

May We Never Forget

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah. This morning, a siren sounded throughout Israel for two minutes; all paused in memory of the six million Jews murdered.

Fewer Holocaust survivors are around each year to help us remember. These survivors believe in the importance of educating younger generations on the tragedy. We must learn from the lessons of the past in order to avoid making the same mistakes.

So take a moment and remember today. Read and learn; teach your children. May we never forget.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar (Young Adult Fiction)

Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (Adult Non-Fiction Film)

Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto by Susan Goldman Rubin (Children's Non-Fiction)

It Happened in Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust by Elizabeth Bettina (Adult Non-Fiction)

The Long Road Home: The Aftermath of the Second World War by Ben Shephard (Adult Non-Fiction)

Remembering Survival: Inside a Nazi Slave-Labor Camp by Christopher R. Browning (Adult Non-Fiction)

I Belong At the Library Because...

I hope you were able to stop by and see us at the library last week; it was National Library Week! The display board I put up at the beginning of the week, entitled "I Belong at the Library Because..." got a lot of responses! Thanks to everyone who participated and answered with their reasons of why they belong at their library.



We got almost a hundred responses. I collected all the sticky notes and pulled out some of my favorites to share on this blog. Enjoy!

• "The library makes me feel at home."
• "Good value for tax dollars spent."
• "I love the library! Books are my life!"
• "The librarians are so nice and I love to read."
• "God's gift to humanity is a great library with terrific librarians. Thanks so much for all you do."
• "I love books, Scrabble group, everything about the library."
• "Haven for nerds like me. :)"
• "I like butterfly books."
• "I am a teacher, and the library is my greatest resource!"
• "I love books and playing with the train table."
• "I like to read and the librarians are so so so awesome and nice and cool all at the same time!"
• "Good dvd selection, book sales by Friends, use copy machine, research."
• "It is a good place for homework and free time."
• "When I get home after a trip to the library, I feel like I've been on a shopping spree... sometimes I even pick things out for family members in addition to myself...and it's free! Thank you!"
• "Reading is simply the best way to spend time."
• "I love playing with the kids who come here."
• "I love picking out books and tapes. I also love story time!"
• "They are very helpful for an 81-year-old lady."
• "I love horse books."
• "Wow! Friendly, fun, kind to people who need more information! Great."

How encouraging to see people enjoying their community library! Thanks to YOU for making this the best place ever to work. We all belong at our library.

Want to write some more about why the library is important to you? Write an essay for the chance to win a NOOK Color in a county-wide library contest. Click here for more information.

On behalf of the ACL,
Laura

The Sinking of the Titanic

This weekend marks 100 years since the Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk, killing over 1,500 passengers. Needless to say, the Titanic has been in the news a lot lately. There are memorial services, special events, articles, even a memorial cruise! (I'd stay away from that one, personally.)

Many new books about the Titanic have come out this year, taking advantage of the big anniversary. I've been reading through quite a few as they pass through the library. The survivors' accounts are fascinating, and the story is of course horrifying yet engrossing. As a history lover, I'm always interested in learning more about our past, and there's something about the Titanic's sinking that makes people want to read more. This may be in part because of the well-known film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet!

Mrs. McGrath, our children's librarian, recently held a children's program all about the Titanic and its history. And on Saturday, April 14 from 3:30-4:30, Nancy Burke will lead a program for kids in grades 4-6. In it, kids will be able to take a closer look at icebergs, learn about some passengers, and enjoy games and snacks from 1912. There's still some room left, so call us at 570-587-3440 to register.

Also, check out some new Titanic books available through the Lackawanna County Library System:

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott (fiction)

Kaspar the Titanic Cat by Michael Morpurgo (childrens)

Can You Survive the Titanic? An Interactive Survival Adventure by Allison Lassieur (childrens)

How to Survive the Titanic: The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay by Frances Wilson (adult nonfiction)

Titanic 100 Years Later: The Epic Disaster Remembered - In Words and Pictures (adult nonfiction)

Shadows of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by Andrew Wilson (adult nonfiction)

A Whole Week For the Library!

It's National Library Week! This whole week is devoted to celebrating the library, library workers, and everything the library does for communities around the world.

April is School Library Month. Today is Library Workers Day, Wednesday is National Bookmobile Day, and Thursday is Support Teen Literature Day. It's a lot to take in, I know! Though most of the world won't even notice this week, library geeks like me love it. I don't need official days to celebrate my library, but it's fun to have them!

The theme for this year's National Library Week is You Belong At Your Library. So why do YOU belong at Abington Community Library? What brings you here? What keeps you coming? I set up a display board right in front of our circulation desk for you our patrons to let us know. Fill out a Post-It note with the reason for why you belong at the library and stick it to our board. I'll be writing a blog post using some of the more unique answers!



On Thursday, we'll be celebrating PA Forward Day here at the library. PA Forward is an action plan created by the Pennsylvania Library Association to promote five essential literacy skills. These skills are Basic Literacy, Information Literacy, Civic & Social Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy.

Now, we already have programs that fit with all of these literacies. We have a great variety available to you. If you've noticed, we've started putting the literacy logos on our flyers, such as Civic & Social Literacy on my Afternoon Book Club flyer. PA Forward's goal is to show everyone that "libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information, technology, and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all citizens" (PA Forward).

On PA Forward Day on Thursday, you'll be able to check out different tables promoting each literacy. We hope that more and more, people will realize how the library can provide essential services free of charge. Take advantage of your library!

Happy National Library Week!

Laura
On behalf of the ACL

What Are We Reading?

Here at the library, we staff members often get asked for our recommendations. Ask away! We love sharing what we've been reading, watching, and listening to.


Check out the "Staff Picks" shelf underneath the New Books section for books we've enjoyed recently.

And here are some favorites we read in 2011:

Nancy's picks:
Before I Go To Sleep, by S. J. Watson
Anything by Tess Gerritsen

Mary Ann's picks:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

Laura's picks:
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Patti's picks:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Barb's picks:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff

Carol's picks:
Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos
Happiness Key (series) by Emilie Richards

Dorothy's picks:
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg

Sandy's picks:
The Client by John Grisham
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Teresa's picks:
The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama
The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo

Leah's picks:
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Atlast Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Bible

That's Write!

April is National Card and Letter Writing Month. This may seem like a lost art in the days of quick, misspelled online notes, but this is the month to revisit the practice!

When everything is emailed, texted, or tweeted, it's refreshing to receive something handwritten. It's true what your mother told you - a written thank-you note truly is appreciated. I always love getting a note penned by someone's familiar hand.

So who can you write a card or letter to this month? A website I found gives you several different ways to send a note to a U.S. military hero; give it a try by clicking here. Or why not write a note of appreciation to someone else in your life - family member, coworker, friend? I guarantee you'll be met with nothing but thankfulness, probably even happy surprise!

As you're practicing handwriting something other than a grocery list, check out these books available in the Lackawanna County Library System:

For Adults:

Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters
Just a Note to Say: The Perfect Words for Every Occasion by Florence Isaacs
Yours Ever: People and Their Letters by Thomas Mallon

For Kids:

Courduroy Writes a Letter by Alison Inches
How to Write Letters and Emails by Celia Warren
Sincerely Yours: Writing Your Own Letter by Nancy Loewen

Happy Writing!
Laura
On behalf of the ACL