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Parenting Series: Nursing Knowledge

Posted Thu, 03/31/2011 - 3:05pm by Sally Pellegrini

During the month of April, there will be a series of Monday morning programs concerning breastfeeding issues for new parents and expectant mothers. All aspects of the process will be reviewed along with secondary concerns such as returning to work and storage guidelines. Qualified counselors and personnel wiil be available at the sessions. Meet and discuss your concerns with other mothers and get your questions answered. Each session begins at 10 AM and ends at 11:30 AM.

2! 4! 6! 8!

Posted Wed, 03/23/2011 - 10:12am by Gail Seidenfrau

Who do we appreciate!?

It’s the Pages! Did you ever stop to think about how all our books, magazines and audio books are shelved? Every day our Page staff puts away just about all the books returned that day and new items sent up by our Technical staff. Each item on our browsing shelves was put there by a Page. It is their responsibility to shelve non-fiction according to Dewey Decimal numerical order, fiction alphabetically by the author’s last name, and biography alphabetically by subject. If an author has several books then the titles need to be alphabetized. Did you know numbers go before words in a title? As an example when searching the author James Patterson, the title ‘4th of July’ is shelved before ‘Cross,’ and ‘Cross’ is shelved before 'Four Blind Mice.' If there is more than one author with the same last name, books are shelved alphabetically by last name, first name. Each author’s titles are then put in alphabetical order. Did I lose you yet?

Not Just for Teens

Posted Mon, 03/21/2011 - 2:39pm by Mary Phillips

Most adult readers regard "teen" literature as something to be avoided, since they are "children's" books.  I once had a customer  request a particular book she had seen in Barnes & Noble.  She was really excited about reading it, however when I said that the book was in the Teen Room, she quickly said she didn't want it.  I couldn't persuade her to change her mind.  Many teens, especially Clarkstown teens, can and do read on an adult level.  Teen books usually indicate that the marketing department of a publishing house thinks the book will sell more copies if it is marketed to teens.  In the past several years, I've seen some teen books become wildly popular with the general public, such as The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and all the books by Stephenie Meyer. 

 

Mystery Monday

Posted Mon, 03/21/2011 - 1:26pm by Nancy Moskowitz

The wallflowers of the libraries are those books that languish on the shelves unread and ignored.  Well-reviewed, (or they wouldn't be in the library), they are not sought out by readers, but may be stumbled upon by happenstance, a possible delightful discovery for someone.  What makes someone take a chance on an unknown mystery?  Is it an attractive cover, intriguing jacket copy, or a rave review from a favorite mystery author?  Do people stick to certain sub-genres, i.e. police procedurals, British cozies, dog mysteries?  Or, do they read omnivorously, picking anything that appeals at that moment?  What sort of reader are you?  Do you read strictly off the best seller list, reserving all your choices in advance? Do you depend on serendipity, enjoying the thrill of finding a really great book all by yourself? 
Below are some of these wallflower mystery authors, some suggested by members of the Investigating Mysteries book discussion group. Take one out and have yourself a good time.

FOR THE ONE WHO HAS ALWAYS READ AND NEVER LISTENED

Posted Tue, 03/15/2011 - 9:25am by Jodi Hink

So you've never listened to an audiobook before?  Now is the time.  I first broke down and listened to my initial audiobook when I was making a series of long car rides and needed something to break up the monotony.  It took just one, and now I find myself listening every time I am in the car, cleaning, or cooking.  It makes time go by so much faster during a mundane task.  Everyone who has listened to an audiobook in the car has found themselves at their destination and still sitting listening because they are at "a good part".  This month I would like to suggest to you a few audiobooks that I would recommend for the uninitiated.

Life of Pi  by Yann Martel
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

These titles are available on CD, Playaway and as digital audiobooks.

Program Change

Posted Wed, 03/09/2011 - 5:49pm by Sally Pellegrini

On March 20, there is a program planned to honor Women's History Month. The program is being coordinated by the library, Historical Society of Rockland County and film makerand author, Lynn Manzione. Because of the passing of Dr. Martha MacGuffie, the program will be a tribute to this remarkable woman who overcame adversity and made important contributions here and in Africa. Another program will be planned at a later date to focus on the other presenters who were to be speaking at the event.

What's Cooking?: Braising

Posted Wed, 03/09/2011 - 1:32pm by Dorothy Ng

 

Braising is a cooking technique that can transform a mundane piece of meat into a dish that will satisfy the most discriminating palate.  It is similar to stewing in that it uses relatively low temperatures while simmering.  However, braising uses less liquid resulting in a rich concentrated sauce.  It also uses large pieces of meat.  More important, the meat is first seared.  This essential step ensures the meat will retain its juices, keeping it succulent and moist.

"BOOKING" A CRUISE

Posted Sat, 02/26/2011 - 11:48am by Karen Ostertag

The days are getting noticably longer as the end of winter approaches, but temperatures outside are still uncertain.  (The weather, even more so.  Will this snow EVER go away?)  I know many of you must be longing for balmier weather.  Well, it's cruise season!  If you can't get away from it all in person, why not escape winter for awhile between the pages of a book?  New City Library's doughty crew is ready to weigh anchor for the destination of your choice, and the only passport required is your library card. 

Our romance collection has a veritable fleet of "dreamboats" in port right now, eager to whisk you away to some warm, welcoming sea (or at least a nice bubble bath).  Just think of it-- exotic locations, handsome captains, dashing pirates, charming fellow travellers... and dressing for dinner is completely optional.  Put on your flip-flops, pour yourself an umbrella drink, and grab a deck chair... it's time for a little shipboard romance! 

 

More Than Just a Number

Posted Thu, 02/24/2011 - 2:16pm by Gail Seidenfrau

     Did you know over 23,000 of our residents have library cards?  We issue over 100 cards new cards a month; and in September known in library land as “card sign up month” and we traditionally sign up over 150 new members.  For several years the total number of members hovered at about 22,000, as people moved and new residents joined our community.  This year has seen a real increase in our membership; even with the growing popularity of eBooks people are more aware of the value, variety and vastness of our library’s collection.

     Some of you like to chat with us and we enjoy your comments as you use the Self-Checkouts or come up to the desk.  I was happy to tell the ‘speculative fiction’ librarian that a young man from another town said we had the best Sci-Fi collection in the county.  Another person from one of the county’s smaller libraries told me how much she loved the playaways and came here because of the depth of our collection.

Mystery Monday

Posted Tue, 02/22/2011 - 2:07pm by Nancy Moskowitz

Who wants to laugh?
Humor is a very subjective concept.  What is uproarious to one person may not even bring a smile to the lips of someone else.  Why the seemingly sophisticated French adore Jerry Lewis has been a real head scratcher to those who find his antics decidedly unfunny.  But what is a sense of humor and why does it vary so widely between individuals?  While everyone does possess a distinct sense of humor and may be amused by events that don't necessarily tickle another's funnybone, there are certain universal characteristics of humor that produce a humorous response. These are:
    Incongruity
    Absurdity, ludicrousness, or ridiculousness
    Unexpected future
    pleasant surprise
    Being startled
    "Getting it"
    Emotional chaos remembered in tranquility

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