Library Lovers discussion
Library Events
Our Library has had a sign on the front door that we love that you want to donate books to the Library but right now we just do not have the room for them. We will accept them the beginning of July. Well even with that we still get donations dropped in our book drop and some of them you wouldn't even want to give them to the dog to chew on. No one reads the signs. A number of people come to the front desk with books and ask if we are taking donations and we explain why wed do not right now. They look pissed but hey we just don't have the room. Geez!
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We haven't been taking donations for awhile. We have been going thru a major reconstruction but we get people weekly dropping off stuff on the seat by the elevator or in the book drop. They want to get rid of them and get rid of them now!
Our library only takes donations that are 10 years old or newer.
Our library begs people not to donate National Geographic magazines, even recent, new ones. When I asked one of the staff why, he said that they don't sell at the weekly Friends of the Libr. sales, like not at all...people won't go near them. I said I was surprised, that you'd think at least some of the many home-schooling mothers we've got around here would want them for geog. lessons; but he said, "Nope, we can't run fast enough after people to even give them away." Which the more I think about, it doesn't surprise me after all: the flat-earthers around here probably see the stories & pix of countries in the other hemisphere as being fantasy, sigh.
I wish my library would have more adult activities. Once in a great while they have something but it is usually poorly attended. They have kids stuff almost every day in the summer.
We have in our library movies each Monday night and again on Wed afternoon since some seniors don't like to drive at night. We also have programs during the month for adults that they might be interested in. Some are really very popular and some no so much. We try to have interesting stuff as we would for the children's area.
Koren wrote: "I wish my library would have more adult activities. Once in a great while they have something but it is usually poorly attended. They have kids stuff almost every day in the summer."We have a "summer pen pals" program ... Seniors and kids sign up and are randomly matched. The "mailboxes" are all at the library, and we write "postcards" to one another. In August we'll have a picnic and get to meet. I did it last year and it was great fun.
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That sounds like fun!
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So it's Saturday and I bagged up a few hardcovers to donate to the library as set forth above. I found the secret table and handed them over, which had the two volunteers in raptures. They wrote me a receipt. To my astonishment, she spelled my name right on the first try but also to my astonishment, she didn't put down that I donated 25 books. She put 25 BAGS of books.SMH...
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https://electricliterature.com/librar..."
I love it!
I got my pen pal assignment today. I know my pen pal is 11 years old, but nothing else .... not even gender. I immediately wrote a quick note and put it in the "mailbox" ... wonder how long it will be before my pen pal responds?
Fishface wrote: "This is not exactly a library event, but...https://electricliterature.com/librar..."
Love it. The Uptown Funk parody is priceless.
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Local celebration of 50th anniversary of Woodstock was a concert outside the library. Friends contributed "Free Love" in the form of several boxes of romance books from which those attending could choose as many books as they liked. In addition to giving away books we were able to talk to people about the library and the upcoming Friends book sale so we considered it a success.
They are remodelling my local one so we have to sneak through corridor walls made of clear plastic to get to each area.
Fishface wrote: "They are remodelling my local one so we have to sneak through corridor walls made of clear plastic to get to each area."That gives me hope that maybe they will come up with way to keep one nearest me open during remodel but at this time it looks like it will be closed. Difficult or maybe impossible to open when flooring is being replaced in both public and staff areas.
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Julie wrote: "We just finished a remodel of my library where I work. We had to share the tech office with the director and the secretary, plus 3 tech people (not at the same time) -not to mention the coat rack, ..."At least you were able to be open most of the time. That may not be possible here. Being a branch library in a multi county system, in a building owned by the City in which we are located, work being done or contracted out by different entities... it's complicated. Since I'm a volunteer at least I don't have to worry about pay check or where I will be working but I wonder what it will do to staff.
Building woes aside:Local library system is doing the 10 to Try Reading Challenge using Beanstack. Though list is similar to what I've seen at other libraries there are some changes or re-phrased topics from what I've usually seen. I'm not sure what "Different Perspectives" means when it comes to a type of book. Anyone know what that means?
ETA: Different Perspective: Read or listen to a book that is written in someone's perspective other than your own and consider whether it made you think differently.
I guess I can read or listen to any book I didn't write, which means I can read any book I don't use for another category! It doesn't mean a memoir because that is a different category.
Koren wrote: "I wish my library would have more adult activities. Once in a great while they have something but it is usually poorly attended. They have kids stuff almost every day in the summer."Got the schedule of upcoming events at our library from now until the end of December. In 4 months there is only one event that is adult oriented and that is an author coming I've never heard of. Allen Eskens. Will have to research him. But I get it that the adults dont seem to show up for events. We have a monthly reading challenge. Anyone that does all 12 challenges gets their name in a drawing at the end of the year. My librarian told me at our branch I am the only one still doing it.
So your name is going to be the only one in the drawing?
Koren wrote: "I wish my library would have more adult activities. Once in a great while they have something but it is usually poorly attended. ...We have a monthly reading challenge. Anyone that does all 12 challenges gets their name in a drawing at the end of the year. My librarian told me at our branch I am the only one still doing it."
My library has the same problem with attendance for adult activities. Twice I was the only one to show up for programs that were supposed to be a couple of hours long. Both were staff conducted and I told them I could use the time doing my volunteer work for Friends of the Library. I was sure they could find other things to do. We agreed to cancel.
Fishface wrote: "So your name is going to be the only one in the drawing?"No. I'm the only one at our branch. There are several branches to the county library.
Ah. I thought for sure you would win ALL the valuable prizes LOL
I did complete ONE review for the Adult summer reading program at my library ... and I won a $25 gift card! (I refused it, as I'm a board member and felt another patron should get a chance to win.)We're planning a major remodel of our branch library. We will move out entirely and set up a LIMITED service library in a rented storefront during the six-to-nine-months of demolition / reconstruction. We're taking down the existing space to the studs so it's just not feasible to try to continue operations while the remodel takes place.
Book Concierge wrote: "I did complete ONE review for the Adult summer reading program at my library ... and I won a $25 gift card! (I refused it, as I'm a board member and felt another patron should get a chance to win.)..."I did the same for the same reason for the things I was awarded this summer.
Yesterday the talk was there might be a way to have limited service in the Community Rooms on the other side of the building during construction.
Fishface wrote: "Ah. I thought for sure you would win ALL the valuable prizes LOL"I'll let you know if I win anything! LOL
The library remodel is starting to take shape and I see what they're getting at with it -- making better use of the space to store the checkoutables. It also looks at if they were eliminating the inner sanctum previously occupied by the librarians behind the circulation desk. They now work at a sort of atoll of computer stations with shelves on the walls around them.The new carpet is much nicer, in a kind of Minecrafty way.
Fishface wrote: "The library remodel is starting to take shape and I see what they're getting at with it -- making better use of the space to store the checkoutables. It also looks at if they were eliminating the i..."Ours is still weeks, perhaps I should say a few months, away but prep has started.
Don't think there's any way they could incorporate the office area into the library in ours. It includes things like areas for delivery, building maintenance and supply, creation and repair areas, time-clock computer, break room, and other things best kept reasonably secure and/or private.
ETA: There is a tentative plan to have limited library services available in the community meeting room. Possibly a place for new release books and holds coming in from other libraries as well as a few public computers and maybe a small children's area. If I understand plan even staff will not be able to access books in the stacks as all shelving with books will be moved over to one side of the library then the other while carpet is removed and hard flooring is installed.
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As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This month's challenge is to read a book that is a retelling of another book. Any suggestions?
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I read a re-tell on Pride and Prejudice this year and I enjoyed it.
It is called
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin.
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https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This month's challenge is to re..."If it can be retold fairy tale: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley.
Retold traditional story: Mary Stewart's Merlin books.
Retold book: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.
L J wrote: "Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This month's chal..."I tried Wicked once but couldn't get into it. Perhaps I could try it again.
Koren wrote: "L J wrote: "Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This ..."I suggested it because everybody else seemed to love it but I ended up sort of skimming it. I figured it might be because I am not a big fan of that type of fantasy. You might search Lists for retellings.
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I loved the Mary Stewart's Merlin books. I should re-read those. Too many books-too little time!
Julie wrote: "L J wrote: "Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This ..."Mary Stewart's Merlin books are the standard by which I measure Arthurian books. Few measure up and too many don't even come close.
Not exactly a library event ... But my F2F book club is meeting tonight to discuss Susan Orlean's The Library Book. And our City Librarian is going to join us for the discussion ....
Book Concierge wrote: "Not exactly a library event ... But my F2F book club is meeting tonight to discuss Susan Orlean's The Library Book. And our City Librarian is going to join us for the discussion ...."Oh, I wish I could go. I read that book and I can see where there would be a lot of things to discuss.
Book Concierge wrote: "Not exactly a library event ... But my F2F book club is meeting tonight to discuss Susan Orlean's The Library Book. And our City Librarian is going to join us for the discussion ...."Curious if you went and how the discussion went.
It was a great discussion and having our city librarian present was a real treat. This book club is NOT associated with the library in any way (other than that several of us get our books from the library). One of our members just called Paula and invited her to join us, and she graciously accepted.
Book Concierge wrote: "It was a great discussion and having our city librarian present was a real treat. This book club is NOT associated with the library in any way (other than that several of us get our books from the ..."I see how it would make a great discussion book. I switched from audio to print because while I was very interested in what happened to the library and how it was dealt with I was not interested in details about the arsonist.
Nice of librarian to join you. While our library has book kits for outside reading groups I haven't heard mention of any librarian to attending a discussion.
Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This month's challenge is to re..."Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook retells the Peter Pan story differently.
Drown and Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid both retell the Little Mermaid story.
While we're at it, Sirena is a novella that retells the story of Philoctetes from the Greek myths. She also wrote Bound, which retells the Cinderella story and resets it in its original country of origin, pre-revolutionary China.
And that reminds me of Spring Moon: A Novel of China, which is very much a retelling of Gone with the Wind -- only in this one, the war the main character survives is the Communist Revolution in China, not the American Civil War.
Do spoofs count as retellings? The Da Vinci Cod: A Fishy Parody is very much like its source novel but with a different secret waiting for you at the end.
Wide Sargasso Sea is Jane Eyre retold from the POV (point of view) of the crazy woman in the attic.
Jonathan Segal Chicken is Jonathan Livingston Seagull retold from the POV of a discontented chicken rather than an ambitious seagull.
The Red Tent is a retelling of a section of the Book of Genesis as a novel, from the POV of one of the women in the story. I cannot recommend this book too highly; it's enthralling, and any library should have it on the shelves.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West retells the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from another POV. Another fairly enthralling read, although I didn't like it quite as much as I did The Red Tent.
I just realized you posted this request on October 10th. I hope you didn't need to have the book read by Halloween.
Of course maybe you could count Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, which retells another very familiar story.
This reminds me I need to get back to the Ten to Try challenge for my library system as it needs to be completed before the end of the year. I made a list of books and have read some of them but need to get on the site and post them. This is done using Beanstack but each library sets up their own list of ten. I plan to do it in part because I haven't talked to anyone else who plans to complete it.
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "As I've stated before, my library is having an adult challenge where you complete the designated challenge each month for a chance at a prize at the end of the year. This month's chal..."Thank you Fish Face. I ended up reading The Golden House by Salman Rushdie, which is a retelling of The Great Gatsby.
Library Lovers
Books mentioned in this topic
Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope (other topics)Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope (other topics)
Ban This Book (other topics)
You Asked for Perfect (other topics)
The Golden House (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alan Gratz (other topics)Robin McKinley (other topics)
Mary Stewart (other topics)
Gregory Maguire (other topics)
Uzma Jalaluddin (other topics)
And she finally told me. But I fear that donating books to my local library may be not unlike abandoning a baby in a garbage can...