Several people asked at the Reference Desk this week for information about hiking in New Hampshire. With the weather cooling off and the leaves beginning to turn, this is a perfect time of year to go hiking. Do you know that more than 500,000 people visit New Hampshire to hike every year? Trails like Bald Mountain, Artist's Bluff, and the Basin-Cascades Trail are among the most popular. With the appropriate trail, the right gear and some majestic views, hiking can be a rewarding experience.

Actually hiking is a form of walking for the purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. One usually hikes on trails in rural or wilderness areas. Enthusiasts regard hiking as the best way to see nature. They regard it as better than a tour in a vehicle because the hiker's senses are not intruded upon by such distractions as windows or engine noise. Hiking over long distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical ability and preparedness.

Hikers often seek beautiful environments in which to hike. Unfortunately, these environments can be accidentally destroyed by people. The action of an individual may not have an adverse effect on the environment. However, the mass effect of a large number of people can degrade the environment. For example, gathering wood in an alpine area to start a fire may be harmless once (except for wildfire risk). Years of gathering wood, however, can strip an alpine area of valuable nutrients. Usually such protected areas as parks have regulations in place to protect the environment. If hikers follow such regulations, their impact can be minimized. Such regulations may include forbidding wood fires, restricting camping to established camp sites, and imposing a quota on the number of visitors per day. You may be familiar with the philosophy of Leave No Trace, i.e. hiking in a way that future hikers cannot detect the presence of previous hikers. Practitioners of this philosophy follow it even in the absence of area regulations.

New Hanpshire Living presents a good deal of helpful information about hiking. Be sure to check ou their tips, resources, state parks guide and their disclaimer. If you are feeling ambitious, you may also wish to take a look at their New Hampshire four thousand footers. Hike New England presents trail reports including difficulty and distance.

And do check out some of our library's items about hiking in New Hampshire:
Foghorn outdoors: New Hampshire hiking,

Best hikes with children in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine by Cynthia C. Lewis & Thomas J. Lewis,

Best loop hikes New Hampshire to the Maine coast by Jeff Romano

and many additional selections.

So have fun, take care, and do stop by to tell us about your adventure.

Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer--a day for cookouts or one last trip to the beach. It is a reminder that the leaves will soon change to bright, fiery colors and the kids are going back to school. But, why, you might ask, do we celebrate Labor Day? According to the US Department of Labor, the holiday "is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Planned by the Central Labor Union, the first Labor Day celebration occurred on Tuesday, September 5, in New York City. Although most sources credit Peter Maguire, General Secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, with the founding of the holiday, some believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist and later a union secretary, actually proposed the holiday. September was chosen because it provided a break for the workers between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Approximately 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square. Following the parade, a picnic, along with a concert and speeches, was held at Riverside Park for the workers and their families.

In 1884, the Central Labor Union celebrated the holiday on the first Monday in September, and urged other cities to follow suit. Within the next couple of years, labor organizations grew and the celebration of Labor Day spread to many industrial cities. On February 21, 1887, Oregon passed a Labor Day bill, and later that year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey did the same. After 26 additional states enacted legislation to create a Labor Day holiday, Congress passed an act in 1894 making the first Monday of September a national holiday.

As you are taking that last dip in the pool or adding mustard to your hot dog, remember that Labor Day, which has become more about leisure than labor, was once a day for the working class to celebrate their work, air their grievances, and strategize for ways to gain better wages and working conditions. If you want to learn more, take advantage of the Library of Congress's Today in History Archive (search for "labor") or the American Memory page (search for labor unions). The sites have photographs, documents and information, about labor and labor unions.

Sources:
"The History of Labor Day." U.S. Department of Labor in the 21st Century http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm (accessed August 31, 2007).

"Today in History: September 5: The First Labor Day." The Library of Congress American Memory http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep05.html (accessed August 31, 2007).

This time of year, I think a lot about my sister. The start of school reminds me of our times growing up together. As kids, we got along reasonably well, but it wasn't until my sister left the country for a year that we really started to become great friends (she was an exchange student during her junior/my freshman year). Nothing like a sixteen-hour plane flight to give a teen some space! Not long after that, she went off to college, so we really came to appreciate our time together.

Siblinghood is a funny thing; sharing so much allows you to know just exactly how to needle each other, but it also means that you can finish each other's thoughts in a way that no one else will understand. Who but a sibling can fully appreciate the foibles of your family, after all? In exploring the library's catalog, I ran across this new arrival that explores the complexity of the sister bond: The sister knot : why we fight, why we're jealous, and why we'll love each other no matter what / Terri Apter. (306.8754 A)

After we had been out on our own for a while, my sister gave me a copy of Sisters, by Carol Saline and photographer Sharon J. Wohlmuth. It's a coffee table book; but it beautifully illustrates how important sisters can be to each other.

Of course, there's that nasty sibling rivalry problem that most families deal with. I don't know whether my parents--avid readers--ever felt the need of some outside help, but there are now plenty of titles on sibling rivalry out there. If you like to browse, a good place to look is the parenting shelf in the children's room. Among the parenting books you'll find:

Understanding sibling rivalry : the Brazelton way / T. Berry Brazelton, Joshua D. Sparrow. (call number JUV 649.143 B)
Loving each one best : a caring and practical approach to raising siblings / Nancy Samalin with Catherine Whitney. (call number JUV 649.143 S)

More on this topic is available in the adult nonfiction collection. For example:

The baffled parent's guide to sibling rivalry / Marian Edelman Borden. (call number 649.143 B)
Birth order blues : how parents can help their children meet the challenges of birth order / Meri Wallace. (call number 155.924 W)

Or just try subject searches for "sibling rivalry" or "brothers and sisters" (or just "brothers" or "sisters"). We have several more books on the topic.

Labor Day has come and gone marking the unofficial end of summer fun. We can't really declare that summer is over until it's official end on September 23. The signs, however, are there. On my way to work this morning, I noticed a number of these signs. My lawn has yellow leaves on the grass. The blueberry picking farm down the street is closed for the season and the apple picking farm is open. One of the local farm stands has a line of chrysanthemums and pumpkins edging the parking lot.

There are a few redeeming events in the fall. The best of these is the turning of the leaves. I am what is referred to apparently as a "leaf peeper", or at least a would-be "leaf peeper". Every year my husband promises me that we will go up north and look at the autumn leaves. Every year by the time we get there, the leaves have all turned brown and dropped off. Turning leaves are a tricky thing. It seems to take them a long time to reach their prime, but once they do - blink and they're gone!

The state of New Hampshire fills up with "leaf peepers" every fall, and information is in place to be sure that each and every one has a peak experience. One of the websites that the state of New Hampshire has provided is called the New Hampshire Foliage Report If you have ever wondered why the leaves change color, the answer is here. This website will also help you to decide when and where to go to see the best quality fall foliage. Just drag the cute little fall leaf across the color bar, and you will see where in the state the foliage is at its peak and when. White Mountain Foliage.com will answer almost any question that you might think of in regard to fall foliage including what effect weather has, and where else in the country you can go to see fall colors.

If you like fall foliage and you like trains, this is the website for you. Foliage trains.com describes a number of different train trips in the Lakes Region and the Lincoln area which provide excellent fall foliage viewing. If you would rather do your viewing on foot, the Appalachian Mountain Club has some family-friendly foliage hikes in the White Mountains and the Lakes Region. There is even fall foliage for those who can't bear to leave their computers. Weirs online.com has a beautiful collection of fall foliage photos which can be emailed as a postcard to a friend. Or as a coworker pointed out, could even be used as a desktop background!

Happy "leaf peeping"!

at least that's what all my elders tell me. Those of you that share this philosophy might be interested in a big antiques fair happening this week and into the weekend in Brimfield, MA. Many of my friends tell me this is the event to attend if you are at all interested in antiques or collectibles. Unfortunately I have yet to make the trek so I can not give a first hand account of the event, and for the third year in a row I will not be able to go, but I'm making it a personal goal to go next year. Yep, Brimfield '08!

If you'd like to brush up on your antique knowledge before you go or perhaps price some treasures you have at home, take a peak at some of our library books about antiques.

Antiques 101 : how to buy for fun and profit / Frank Farmer Loomis IV

Kovels' antiques & collectibles price list : for the 2007 market illustrated / [Ralph and Terry Kovel].

Antiques Roadshow collectibles : the complete guide to collecting 20th-century glassware, costume jewelry, memorabilia, toys, and more, from the most-watched series on PBS / by Carol Prisant

Are you a slave to your credit card company? For your sake, I hope not. We're all familiar with the temptation to buy that iPod we've always wanted or the stereo equipment that would make our stereo sound just the way we wanted, but if using the credit card to pay for these items means paying 20% interest on a sizable balance for a lengthy period of time, you're probably better off resisting. To make matters even worse, credit card companies are always sending out letters enticing us to start up a new credit card even if we already have one.

Well, if you'd like to be scared straight into never carrying a sizable balance on your credit cards again, then have I got the book for you: Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lenders by James D. Scurlock. Maxed Out takes the reader on a road trip that is both amusing and frightening. From Las Vegas to the Bible Belt to the backwoods of the inner cities, Scurlock takes you where the world's largest financial giants "troll for their next victims." Exposing real, potentially disastrous systems which support the flood of easy credit, Scurlock will make you think twice about slapping down some plastic when you head to the mall.

You can find the Maxed Out on display in the new business books section.

Recommended Websites on the topic:
Center for Responsible Lending, http://www.responsiblelending.org/issues/credit/
The Truth About Credit, http://www.truthaboutcredit.org/
Consumer Action (CA), http://www.consumer-action.org/

Magazine Articles available in EBSCO database for FREE!!!!
"Dragged Down by Debt" by Jane Quinn, in Newsweek, 5/7/2007, p49.

Or "For a good year!" -

Sundown on September 12 marks the beginning of the Jewish year 5768. On that evening, Jews will begin celebrating one of their most important religious holidays. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah literally means the "head of the year" or the "first of the year". Orthodox and Conservative Jews celebrate the holiday for two days and Reform Jews for one day.

While it does have a festive side, Rosh Hashanah is not one big party as the New Year's celebrations on December 31 tend to be. Instead Rosh Hashanah is a time for personal introspection and prayer. There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one. Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions". Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The traditions of Rosh Hashanah are simple as the only commandment specified for the holiday is the blowing of the shofar. In temple the shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah to herald the beginning of this period known as the High Holy Days. The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the temple. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah other than cooking, baking, transferring fire and carrying. Much of the day is spent in synagogue (temple) where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. A popular tradition during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey to denote a sweet new year, and eating round challah bread to symbolize the circle of life and the hope that our lives endure without end. Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). People walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty their pockets into the water, symbolically casting off their sins.

Some items in our library with information about Rosh Hashonah are:
Holiday decorating for dummies by Kelley Taylor,

Great world religions [videorecording]: Judaism by Isaiah M. Gafni (videodiscs),

Great world religions [videorecording]: Judaism by Isaiah M. Gafni (videocassettes),

The tapestry of Jewish time: a spiritual guide to holidays and life-cycle events by Nina Beth Cardin.

Or you may wish to check out some websites as:
The Meaning of Rosh HaShanah,

Three Prayers of Rosh HaShanah

High Holy Days on the Net - The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

L’Shana Tova to all!

In this digital age, reference librarians sometimes use the internet to answer questions. As with print sources, it is important to know where to look for quality information. With millions of web pages out there, we have to be selective. So, how do we know which sites to choose? I think we all have our favorites for certain types of information. I always go to MedlinePlus.gov first when I get a health question, and often use FoodNetwork.com or Epicurious.com for recipes. What other sources are good? PC Magazine recently published two lists: the Top 100 Classic Websites and the Top 100 Undiscovered Websites. Both offer suggestions for a variety of topics, such as: Info, Reference, and Search; Health and Food; Lifestyle and Entertainment; Money and Career; Music; News, Politics, and Government; Reading; Shopping, Classifieds, and Travel; Tech: Download and DIY; Tech: Gaming; Tech: Hardware News and Blogs; Tech: Software and Internet Blogs; Video; Web Apps.

A couple of interesting sites on the Undiscovered list include:
The World's Healthiest Foods--information about the way food affects health
Menupages--information and menus for numerous restaurants in Boston and other large cities
Librivox--FREE public-domain audiobooks
PrezVid--a blog that tracks the Presidential campaign via YouTube
Hard to Find 800 Numbers--an alphabetical listing of companies' 800 numbers
Roadside America--quirky landmarks throughout the US

And, from the Classic list:
How Stuff Works--explains how everything really works
Nolo--legal documents and advice; we have some of their publications in the library
Bloomberg.com--for financial news
Internet Movie Database--information on movies and televisions shows, and another one of my favorites
The Onion--a news spoof; you can find some Onion books in the library as well
USA.gov--a portal for government information

The fun does not stop here. Take a look at the lists, and you will find many more informational and entertaining sites. If you find any of them particularly helpful or have a favorite "go to" website, let me know by leaving a comment below.

"My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." ~Thomas Helm

It's September 11, and rather than reflect on the painful events of six years ago, I choose today to defy the terrorists and instead write about one of the great joys in life: reading.

I've noticed recently that people have very different habits when it comes to reading--not just in what they choose to read, but in how they read. Case in point: the latest Harry Potter book. People lined up at midnight to be the first to get it. For some, this was because they love the series and were impatient to find out what happened next. For others, it was more important to read it for themselves before the ending was spoiled for them. One of my colleagues skipped straight to the end, preferring to end the suspense immediately. Personally, I avoided the news like the plague in hopes of reaching the end and having it be a surprise!

By the same token, I often help people find books in a series. Some don't care what order they read them in; any book will do. Others won't move on to book three unless they've had a chance to read books one and two. I fall in the latter group, whether it's books, movies, or TV. I don't want to miss the nuances and undercurrents that refer back to events in previous books. And then there are readers who don't like series at all, finding them too repetitious.

There's also the "must read" factor. One of the wonderful things about the book field is that one never knows what's going to take off and be the next hot item. Sometimes word-of-mouth can really launch a book and its author to stardom. Some people feel compelled to read the latest bestsellers, curious to find out what's so special; others just can't muster interest in the "now" book. (How many people tried to read "The Da Vinci Code" and just didn't find it worth the hype?)

It’s partly in the attitude, I guess. Books that are boring “required reading” in school tend to be much more interesting when they’re read for fun, even though the book is the same. Pride and Prejudice was slow going when I read it for school, but once I didn’t have a deadline to meet, I really enjoyed it!

So... what kind of reader are you?

If you have lived in the Nashua area, or more specifically the town of Merrimack, since the early 1970s, you may be familiar with the unsolved case of the murders of Diane Compagna and Anne Psaradelis. The girls were last seen at Hampton Beach on July 12, 1973. Their bodies were found in Candia in the woods near New Boston Road on September 29th of the same year. Both girls were 15 years old and would have been beginning their sophomore year at Merrimack High School.

New interest has been generated in the case because of a recent book which has been published by Joseph Horak. Mr. Horak, a retired Merrimack police detective, was one of the law enforcement personnel who first investigated the murders in 1973. His first book, Justice denied : a detective's dilemma , published in 2004, was a discussion of the facts of the case and a detailing of where the investigation may have gone wrong. His second book, Pride and honor : behind the badge is a compilation of stories highlighting his career as a police officer. That may not be what drew so many people to the Merrimack Public Library to hear him speak on June 11, 2007 that some were turned away at the door for lack of room.

There is the small matter of what appears on page 347. Horak has had his own suspect in this case for some time. In this second book, on page 347, in an effort to generate some movement on the part of everyone involved in the case, Horak has named the person whom he believes was responsible for the murders of these two girls. The man is a Merrimack resident. Horak states that he is more interested in seeing justice done, than he is concerned about any legal consequences that may befall him for making the accusation.

If you are interested in catching up with developments in this case over the last few years, here are some links to stories which have been published in local papers.

Nashua Telegraph
Milford Cabinet and a second article in the Cabinet

The library has a wide selection of true crime reading. If you are interested in following up on a few of the other murder cases which have been in the headlines in recent years, here are some suggestions.

A death in Belmont
Safe harbor : a murder in Nantucket
A rose for Mary : the hunt for the real Boston strangler
Invisible Eden: a story of love and murder on Cape Cod

The night I was at the open house at Nashua High South. I asked a staff member if they have a Nashua Public Library card. This person said no, they don't live in Nashua and never go downtown.

I immediately began to describe all the reasons he would want a card even if he doesn't visit the physical library. Aside from the many databases and our Live Homework Help resources I explained that as a commuter he should learn about our downloadable audiobooks. These are really handy for commuters because you can save them to you laptop, transfer them to a compatible mp3 player for the T, or some can even be burned to a cd.

Then I started thinking about how much I personally enjoy audiobooks on roadtrips. They always make the trip go by faster. I started listening to one on my last trip and never finished it. So I've been listening to little tidbits on my 10 minute commute to and from work. Last night I pulled into the driveway at a really good part and couldn't wait until this morning to listen to the conclusion.

That's how I found yet another great way to enjoy audiobooks, listening while knitting. My knitting skills are not polished enough to allow me to have the tv on at the same time, but if I don't have any noise at all I find myself getting bored. This was the perfect solution.

So the moral of this entry is, if you don't live in this town you can still enjoy a good book from the Nashua Public Library and there is more then one way to take advantage of an audiobook.

New audiobooks @ your library.

Would you like to be able to search the library's catalog from anywhere on the Internet? Well now you can. All you need to do is install a free search box (or plugin) into your browser, either Firefox or Internet Explorer 7. The instructions on how to do this can be found on the library's home page, down at the very bottom, or simply click here. To add the search box to Firefox is as simple as clicking on one link. To add the search box to IE7 requires one or two short steps, but it's real easy.

So have fun searching the NPL catalog using this new feature! We would love it if you would leave us a comment if you are able to install the search box on your computer.

If you should be in any public place such as a market, a bus stop, a cafe or a library and discover a book that appears to have been forgotten by his or her owner, take a look inside the book cover for a Book Crossing label. If you find one, it means that this book was left there for you to pick up, read, and “release” at another public spot for others to read. This book can then travel from hand to hand, from person to person, between cities and even between countries. The purpose of Book Crossing is to transform the world into a large library.

As of today, there are 588,122 people in over 130 countries participating in this project. To become involved, you can visit the Book Crossing web site, sign up and then participate by “releasing” some of your favorite books or by “catching” the books left by others. The Book Crossing web site is a fundamental tool of this project. You will find information about places where certain books were "released" or you might find information about somebody who "caught" one of your books, but more importantly this web site provides forums where people can share ideas about this project and the books they have read through it. In a way, Book Crossing is like a large book club.

Some spots in Nashua where releases currently can be found are Panera's on Split Brook Road, Holman Stadium and, if course, the Nashua Public Library. Do you want to know which books have been released here in Nashua? Let’s go see!

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation from my brother to become a friend on Quechup, "the social networking platform sweeping the globe." Despite the claim that it is "the social networking site to be on," I had never heard of it. I kept the e-mail in my inbox and decided to look into the site. Not long thereafter, I received an e-mail from my husband, who had accepted my brother's invitation. I was surprised that my husband would so quickly invite me to join, and I became suspicious. A Google search for "Quechup" resulted in a plethora of blogs warning people about this site. Text on the invitation e-mail states, "You received this because [name (e-mail)] knows and agreed to invite you. You will only receive one invite from [e-mail]. Quechup will not spam or sell your email address"; however, my brother did not realize that he agreed to invite me to join this social networking site.

When you accept the invitation, Quechup offers to check your contacts for friends on the site. Upon this action, Quechup sends an invitation to everyone in your address book. Both my brother and husband learned this the hard way. My husband received e-mails from friends asking him about the e-mail he had sent. My husband didn't realize what they meant right away, but figured it out eventually. Fortunately, the invitation went to an e-mail address that he uses infrequently, and most of the contacts in his address book were family and friends. My brother had many professional contacts who should not have received such an invitation. I am glad I did not accept my brother's invitation. As a g-mail user, anyone who receives an e-mail from me is entered in my address book. I have contacts ranging from close friends and family, to professional contacts, to people who I don't know well but were part of a reply all list. Apparently, a member of a library listserv joined Quechup, because an invitation was sent to the listserv.

If you receive an invitation to join Quechup, please be aware of this tactic. I did not accept the invitation, so I can only relate what I have read. One commenter writes that the site does indicate that Quechup will send invitations to your contacts. Another explains that you can prevent this, but the option is not in an obvious spot.

If the Writer's Almanac is to be believed, the New York Times owes its existence in some degree to bad blood between newspaperman Horace Greeley and his one-time protegee:

"The founders were Henry J. Raymond and his partner George Jones, and Raymond was motivated to start the paper in part by a desire for revenge. He'd spent 10 years working for Horace Greeley at the New York Tribune, only to be laid off when he caught a fever. He intended The New York Times to put the New York Tribune out of business."---Writer's Almanac, 9/18/2006

The paper, which was founded as the New-York Daily Times on September 18, 1851, has won more Pulitzer Prizes for journalism than any other North American newspaper (Source: World Book Online). Adolph Simon Ochs bought the paper in 1896. Ochs wanted the paper to avoid the sensationalism practised by many of its competitors, and the slogan "All the News that's Fit to Print" reflects his focus on hard news and his drive for unprejudiced journalism. He is also credited with starting the New York Times Magazine and New York Times Book Review (originally titled "Saturday Review of Books and Art").

The New York Times is available in the library going back to 1963. You'll find it on microfilm for 1963-2005. Just stop by the reference desk if you'd like some help getting started with the microfilm. If you prefer to see the electronic version, it's available in the Newsbank database, accessible on our web site at http://www.nashua.lib.nh.us/IbrowseAdultNews.htm. (Note that there are separate links for in-library use versus outside use.) The Newsbank collection goes back to January 1, 2000. We also retain the latest month of the paper copy in the Stearns Room and have an additional five months in storage, should you wish to see the newsprint.

If you'd like to know more about the Times, its history, and its controversies, we also have more than a dozen books about the paper, including:

Buried by the Times : the Holocaust and America's most important newspaper, by Laurel Leff.
The times of my life and my life with the Times, by Max Frankel.
The Pentagon papers : national security or the right to know, by Susan Dudley Gold.
Hard news : the scandals at the New York times and their meaning for American media, by Seth Mnookin.

"Arrrr matey, today be not just another day!" Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day according to Chases 2007 Calendar of Events and an email received by a coworker from an excited friend. If you have ever wanted to be like Johnny Depp or longed to be Captain Jack Sparrow, today is your day!

Pirates, always an easy choice for a Halloween costume and for carrying off the heroine of a romance novel, have achieved a new level of popularity thanks in part to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Surprisingly, International Talk Like a Pirate Day got its start in the 1990s. They have an official website which will give you an idea of how into this people can get! There is a dictionary associated with this website which will help you to impress people with your pirate lingo and help you figure out what other people are saying to you.

Talk Like a Pirate Day gained even more popularity in 2002 when humorist Dave Barry wrote a column about it in the Miami Herald. He discussed the very beginning of the observation of the day. He also profiled its two creators , "Ol Chumbucket" and "Capn Slappy"; two otherwise normal people who decided to dress and talk like pirates one day a year. Thanks in part to this column and the dedication of John Baur and Mark Summers, people in more and more countries around the globe are beginning to be very excited about eyepatches and words like "avast" and "me hearties", at least one day a year.

If you have ever wanted to know more about pirates, the real pirates I mean, the library has some books which you might want to take a look at.

The republic of pirates by Colin Woodard : a new book all about the pirates of the Caribbean
The sack of Panama by Peter Earle : Capn Morgan did more than advertise rum
A history of pirates : blood and thunder on the high seas by Nigel Cawthorne
The book of pirate songs compiled by Stuart M Frank : If you'd rather sing like a pirate than talk like one
Under the black flag: the romance and reality of life among the pirates by David Cordingly : Just in case you are curious about what life was really like.

Of course if you'd rather just look at Johnny Depp (aka Capn Jack Sparrow), we do have Pirates of the Caribbean : the curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest

So if you missed it today, enjoy your grog, round up your parrot and your eyepatch and just wait for next year! Arrrrr!

At a quick glance you may think the Nashua Public Library's web site is pretty self explanatory, a few buttons, a rotating web ad. Why do you need someone to explain how to search for a book when there is a button right on the homepage that says, "books & more"?

Maybe you don't.

But, did you know that you can also join online book clubs, reserve museum passes, submit an interlibrary loan request, learn about all library events without ever stepping foot into our building?

Next week Carol, Outreach and Community Services Coordinator, will let you in on the secrets of our library's web site. In an intimate group setting, at your own individual computer, you will discover information sometimes overlooked by even the most savvy web surfers.

Space is limited so be sure to call 589-4610 and register soon.

If you like the description of this program and want to learn more about how to use computers check out our free computer classes.

The John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC) for 2007 is being held this evening at Northeastern University. According to the event’s website, the JCMC has been held annually in Boston since its inception in 1977 and is the world's oldest annual performance tribute to the musical and spiritual legacy of the great master. The JCMC was conceived and created by Black American musicians who deeply understood the blessings and messages that Coltrane shared through the music. Through the continued commitment of a core group of Boston based musicians and the continued interest and support of listeners, the JCMC has evolved into a major cultural event.

The purpose of the JCMC is to reflect on the rich musical and spiritual legacy of Coltrane through contemporary interpretations of his works, to inspire us all to work toward developing our full capacities as human beings, and to work for world peace.

So with that in mind, why don’t I suggest some Coltrane CDs and books that are available at the library.

CDs:
One down, one up [sound recording] : Coltrane live at the Half Note.
Ascension [sound recording] / John Coltrane.
A love supreme [sound recording] / John Coltrane.

Books:
John Coltrane / by Bill Cole
Jazz greats / by David Perry
A new history of jazz / Alyn Shipton

Robert Jordan (born James Oliver Rigney, Jr.) died this past Sunday from complications of primary amyloidosis (a blood disease) that he disclosed and tracked in his own blog. He was 58 and also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.

Jordan was a decorated two-tour veteran of the Vietnam war (1968-1970). He earned a degree in physics from The Citadel when he returned from the war and then served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear engineer. In the late seventies he began writing science fiction and fantasy which would later define his public identity. Thousands of websites and millions of readers are devoted to his work.

Jordan, probably the most popular fantasy writer since J.R.R. Tolkien, is known best for his twelve volume The Wheel of Time series, eleven of which have been published. Jordan named the 12th book A Memory of Light and warned that the final volume of the saga "could be a 1500-page monster" because there were so many hanging plot threads to resolve in a single volume. He maintained that A Memory of Light would remain one volume regardless of its length. Jordan's blog entries relate that he continued work on this volume until his death, and that he shared all of the significant plot details with his family prior to his death.

You may wish to take a look at Robert Jordan's Official Blog, although an overabundance of traffic has been it unreachable this past week. If you have not read The Wheel of Time series, or even if you have, you should take a look at Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time. I am not a science fiction fan but after looking at this site, I jumped into the NPL catalog to reserve the first book of the series, The Eye of the World. Another site that should be of interest is Wotmania. (It did take me a bit of time to figure out that this is an acronym for Wheel of Time Mania.)

Our library has all of the eleven published volumes of the Wheel of Time series. We also have such other books of his as The further chronicles of Conan and The fallon pride which was written under the name Reagan O'Neal.

Do not hesitate to stop at or call our Reference Desk (589-4611) if you hear of any other Robert Jordan books of interest to you. We will be glad to borrow or purchase them for you to read.

Today we celebrate a man who brought much joy, entertainment, and education to millions of children, and even adults--the late Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets. In the 1970s, before most viewers subscribed to hundreds of television channels, Sesame Street was many preschoolers' program of choice. I watched it religiously and dressed up as Big Bird one Halloween. I was also a devotee of The Muppet Show, and would probably stop to watch even today if I came across it. In fact, a friend of mine owns one of the Muppet movies.

Born on September 24, 1936, Jim Henson was fascinated by television. He realized his dream of working in the industry when his puppetry hobby earned him five-minute spots on a Maryland NBC affiliate. Henson's first network program, Sam and Friends, debuted in 1955. His Muppets also appeared in commercials and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Rowlf the Dog, the pianist you may remember from The Muppet Show, was a regular on The Jimmy Dean Show, and popularized Henson's creations.

In 1969, Jon Stone, the first head writer for Sesame Street, suggested incorporating the Muppets into the new children's show on PBS. According to Henson's biography on the Museum of Broadcast Communications website, "it has been suggested that if there were no Muppets, there would be no Sesame Street. The Muppets are largely responsible for the colossal success of this program. In skits, songs, and other performances they epitomized the social skills fundamental to Sesame Street's mission--cooperation, understanding, tolerance and respect." Despite the success of Sesame Street, Henson wanted to bring the Muppets to a wider audience. He knew their appeal was not limited to the preschool crowd. In 1976, he created The Muppet Show, a variety show that featured the charming and zany Muppets alongside the day's biggest stars--John Denver, Florence Henderson, Don Knotts, Steve Martin, Elton John, John Cleese, Brooke Shields, Sylvester Stallone, Alice Cooper, Mark Hamill, Christopher Reeve, Diana Ross, Kenny Rogers, Lynda Carter, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Gladys Knight, and many others. Who can forget the Great Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, Miss Piggy and her crush on Kermit the Frog, and all of the other characters and skits? Muppet movies followed, as did the Fraggle Rock series, The Muppet Babies cartoon, and a few additional projects. Henson received 18 Emmys, seven Grammys, four Peabody Awards, and five ACE Awards.

For more information about Jim Henson, take a look at his bio on The Museum of Broadcast Communcations Website or The Jim Henson Legacy site. You can learn more about his movies and television series at the Internet Movie Database. Or, if you want to revisit your past, check out some of the videos we have here.

Do you have any favorite Sesame Street of Muppet Show memories? Please share them by leaving a comment below.

Source: "Henson, Jim." The Museum of Broadcast Communications http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/hensonjim/hensonjim.htm (accessed September 24, 2007).

So, why were you at the doctor's? The boss paying you enough? How much do you weigh, anyway?

...Is your blood boiling yet?

I couldn't help stopping to read an article on CNN.com entitled "How to deal with nosy questions." The article gives tips on how to handle those personal, intrusive questions gracefully (assuming that you can remember the tips whilst recovering from the shock of being asked).

It turns out that the CNN article is originally from the magazine Real Simple, which we carry here in the library. You'll find the latest issue on display in the Stearns Room. It's also available in full text through the EBSCO database, going back to May of 2000. If you'd like to see the original version of the article, search on the title, "A Lesson Before Prying."

One of the great things about the EBSCO database is this: once you've located a helpful article, you can then use that article to find more on the same topic. While you are looking at your article, click "Citation" so that you can view the information about the source of the article. You should see the article title, author, and publication information. You should also see an area labeled "Subject Terms". It's followed by a list of subjects for the article. In this case, the subjects are ETIQUETTE, JOKING, NONVERBAL communication, BODY language, QUESTION (Logic), and PEOPLE. Each of the subjects is hyperlinked. To search for more articles with one of those subjects, simply click the link. For example, I could click on the ETIQUETTE link to get more etiquette articles.

For a more specific search, look to the right of the article title. You'll see a link that says "Find more like this." Click the link and EBSCO will run a search for other articles using the same combination of subjects--this is a much narrower search, since it looks for articles that match at least two of the subjects of the original article. In our example, it searched for articles that matched ETIQUETTE and JOKING plus at least one of the other subjects.

Oh, and to answer those questions? I'm just fine... My mother told me never to discuss money... and I weigh "enough."