According to Chase's Calendar of Events, my go-to book whenever I'm stuck for a blog topic, May seems to be the month for reminding everyone to pay attention to physical and mental health. Just a few of the conditions being featured by a national observance month this May are: better hearing and speech, family wellness, fibromyalgia, skin cancer, allergy/asthma, arthritis, hepatitis, mental health, stroke and osteoporosis. Every single one of these conditions deserves our attention and support. Personal experience led me to discuss osteoporosis in my blog this time.

My father was not the first member of the family to develop osteoporosis, but it was unusual enough to catch my attention. I thought only women developed osteoporosis. Not true. It's not as common in men as in women, but it does happen. I thought it was just a minor inconvenience. Not true. It is possible to break bones by coughing or even turning your upper body too quickly. I thought that osteoporosis occurred only because you didn't drink enough milk as a child. Not true. There are many causes for osteoporosis, and the tendency to develop it can run in families. If you have or had an elderly female relative with a dowager's hump, (in my family that was my grandmother on my father's side) you were probably told that this was the penalty for not standing up straight. Not true. The hump was the result of undiagnosed osteoporosis.

A chance mention of these things to my doctor led to my first bone density scan, fast, painless, and vital to determining how far along the path to osteoporosis I was. Osteoporosis shows no symptoms until it's very advanced, but it is possible to detect this condition at a much younger age than before and initiate treatment. For this reason it is important to review your family history and your life style and become as knowledgeable as possible about osteoporosis. If your doctor doesn't suggest a bone density scan and you feel there is a possibility that you might need one, ask about it. Untreated osteoporosis can change your life, and not for the better.

If you need information, try these websites: The National Institute on Aging where a search for osteoporosis will give you an article which can be ordered in print or read on line, Osteoporosis : the bone thief. Another good site is Medline plus where a search for osteoporosis will link to informative articles on the subject.

If you would like to do some reading on the topic, there are several books at the library which would provide valuable information.
Strong women, strong bones by Miriam E. Nelson
I'm not slowing down: winning my battle with osteoporosis by Ann Richards
Mayo Clinic on osteoporosis edited by Stephen Hodgson
Better bones, better body : beyond estrogen and calcium by Susan E. Brown
Yoga builds bones: easy, gentle stretches that prevent osteoporosis by Jan Maddern

Every year the children's librarians in NH sponsor the "Great Stone Face Book Award". The award has been around since 1980 when Judy Blume was the first recipient for her renowned book "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret". The winner of this year's award will be announced at the New Hampshire Library Association Spring Conference later this month.
In Nashua, the librarians in the school district have their fourth and fifth graders vote for their favorite of the twenty-five titles selected by NH public librarians for the award year. As the public library children's librarian, I tally all the votes received from the schools and any votes that are submitted here at the library. I am pleased to announce that the top vote-getter in Nashua is "Punished" by David Lubar. This easy to read novel is about two friends that are fooling around in the library and bump into a mysterious man. The man punishes the boy named Logan by causing him to speak in puns. The only way to break the spell is to find seven examples of oxymorons, anagrams, and palindromes within the time limit that will return Logan to normal.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the state votes and which book will take the top award. Nashua has been quite successful over the years in being able to predict the statewide winner. I guess our kids can just feel the pulse of a really good book. Stay tuned as I will reveal the results in an upcoming blog and in the meantime, check out "Punished".

Often the ideas for library programs come from staff members, but sometimes they come from you. A few months back, a library user asked me if the library could start a writers group. A few weeks later, someone asked about holding a Spanish conversation group here. And from time to time knitters have said they'd like to get together with other knitters at the library.

So in March we invited anyone interested in these areas to attend organizational meetings here. Out of that, the three groups blossomed, and they are meeting regularly at the library.

Knitting Group
The knitting group chose to meet weekly, sometimes at lunch time and sometimes at night. If you enjoy knitting, bring your projects and join them, on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 12:30 p.m. and the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 6:30 p.m. Upcoming dates are May 14 at 6:30 p.m., May 21 at 12:30 p.m., and May 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Spanish Conversation Group
The members of the Spanish conversation group are at the intermediate level. Occasionally a native speaker joins them, which gives everyone a chance to practice speaking with an expert. There is no formal leader of the group; a different member volunteers to choose a theme for each meeting. Their meetings are scheduled on the second Tuesday and the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Upcoming dates are May 13, May 15, June 10, and June 19.

Writers Group
At writers group meetings, members read each other's work (aloud or silently) and then critique it. The group is for writers of fiction or nonfiction prose. If you decide to join them, bring four copies of 4-5 pages of your writing to share. The group meets on the third Monday of the month and most Fridays. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. Upcoming dates are May 9, May 19 (this meeting will start at 7:30 pm), and May 30.

Poets Unbound
Poets Unbound, a poetry critique group, also meets at the library. They've been together for 11 years. If you'd like to join them, come to the library on Thursdays at 7 p.m. (except on the second Thursday of the month).

Want more info?
If you want to be kept abreast of when these groups meet, subscribe to our online newsletter, This week @ your library. For more information, email me.

Carol Luers Eyman
Outreach and Community Services Coordinator

Since I was a child, the idea of speaking before a group has been the cause of skyrocketing stress levels, tension and frenzy. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld put this common fear succinctly with, “People would rather be inside the coffin at a funeral, than deliver the eulogy”. In both my professional and personal lives, however, public speaking is a necessity and I have worked very hard to conquer my fear. For me and for the majority of people, the #! confidence booster is is good knowledge of your subject matter.

The Library has quite a few books on public speaking. The major points usually included in the guides are:

1. Prepare for the speech.
2. Make an outline with talking points, rather than a manuscript so the speech is more conversational.
3. Rehearse the speech.
4. Ask questions about format – what is the set up, including AV equipment, the audience, and how much time you will have.
5. If you are nervous, slow down.
6. Eye contact is important.
7. Use technology sparingly.
8. Don't acknowledge that you are nervous.
9. Visualize yourself being successful.

For more advice on how to keep the attention of your next audience, check out these items:
Present like a pro: the field guide to mastering the art of business, professional, and public speaking by Cyndi Maxey and Keven E. O'Connor.

The elements of great public speaking: how to be calm, confident, and compelling by J. Lyman MacInnis.

Public speaking for dummies by Malcolm Kushner.

Mastering the art of public speaking by Peter Desberg.

No-brainers on public speaking [videorecording] / No-Brainers Think Tank produced by Barry Rubenstein; written by Matt Flanagan; directed by Jonathan M. Reich.

The public speaker's Bible : the definitive guide to speaking in public by Stuart Turner.

And do you know about Toastmasters International? It is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. We have a chapter right here! The Nashua Hudson Toastmasters Club meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month at the Nashua Public Library from 6:30 -8:30 PM. For more information, call Mike @ 603-889-8152 or take a look at their website.

As you may know, the Nashua Public Library offers free computer classes. They are generally held Monday through Thursday at either 10:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. We occasionally offer classes on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. or on Fridays.

The computer classes have been very popular the last couple of months, filling up extremely quickly and leading to long waiting lists. We're glad that so many people want to take advantage of this service. Recently, however, quite a few of our registered students have not attended classes. We realize that unforeseen events occur which may delay or prevent people from making it to class. Without advanced notice, we cannot offer spaces to people on the waiting list. If you know you won't be able to make it to class, please give us a call at 589-4611 so we can contact people on the waiting list. Even a call at the last minute is helpful so we know not to wait for you to start the class.

This blog entry is "for women only". Isn't that similar to the name of that hair color kit for men? You know, the one where the old guy in the tv commercial is in the "summer" of his life, but wants a little of his gray to show. This is so he'll look really "with it" while he hangs out with women young enough to be his daughter and enjoys the type of activities that make you think of twenty year olds.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if aging was that easy for all of us! Women need to have a whole different perspective on aging. Projecting an appearance of youth is not just a question of ego or narcissism for women. In the work world, how capable a woman is at her job is often decided by the image she projects. Her hair, clothes, make-up, posture are all noted. If any or all of these say old-lady, it is quite possible that she will be judged unable to do her job as well as someone younger. Work involves competition and when a middle-aged woman looks like a middle-aged woman (or older) it's really tough to compete.

There is a book here at the Nashua Public Library which should be regarded as must reading by any woman of a certain age who wants to be sure she projects an image that is, in the words of this book, "Y&H (young and hip) and does not scream OL" (you guessed it - OLD LADY). How not to look old by Charla Krupp, who used to be the beauty director for Glamour magazine, offers tips for women with beauty routines ranging from low maintenance all the way up to high maintenance. Don't be confused by the Y&H, though, because this book is careful to point out that your goal is not to look like your 20 year old daughter, but rather to avoid looking like her grandmother.

Then, there are those women who would rather rely on nutrition and dietary supplements than resorting to cosmetics, botox and hair color. Change from the inside out, I guess. For them, the Perricone Promise by Nicholas Perricone may be the solution. Some women may feel confident enough to live their lives with gray hair. Going gray by Anne Kreamer discusses one woman's journey to gray hair and the changes which this brought to her life. lf you are a woman with gray or white hair, Going gray, Looking great by Diana Lewis Jewell could be the guide which will help you to create a new image by combining your hair with the right clothes and cosmetics to show it off.

And then there is your mind. Women who are concerned with aging today are a lot different than their mothers. Few women are looking for that wonderful retirement spot in the sun. More than ever women are looking for the next challenge, the next new thing to do. After you make sure that your appearance says, "Don't count me out, I'm not going away for a long time yet", work on your mind and decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. Inventing the rest of our lives by Suzanne Braun Levine helps women to make decisions about the rest of their lives by asking meaningful questions and providing examples of successful life choices. Another book to provide a perspective on aging for women is Kiss tomorrow hello a series of essays written by women authors all over the age of forty who discuss who they were, who they are now, and what happened along the way.

Women age, an unfortunate and unavoidable fact of life. Unlike men, our sense of self-worth and the value which others place upon us and our abilities appears to be tied to our appearance and the image which we project. Look young, act young, but not too young. At the same time allow yourself to develop into a mature, strong woman who knows herself and what she expects from the rest of her long life. Not an easy task.

New Hampshire teens in grades 9-12 have spoken and 2008 winner of The Flume: NH Teen Reader's Choice Award is....

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. This title received 254 votes out of the 636 cast around the state.

According to the award's website (http://www.nashualibrary.org/YALS/Flume.htm), The Flume: NH Teen Reader's Choice Award was created in 2005 in response to a New Hampshire teens' request to have a book award geared towards high school students. This award is a state-wide venture led by a collaborative effort from school and public librarians. Each year teens nominate titles, published within the last two years, they think deserve to be recognized. Librarians then narrow the group of titles to a list of 13. Teens then vote for the winning title from the list of 13.

Not being a New Hampshire native, I'm always trying to find out what there is to do or what is going on. New Hampshire offers TONS of stuff to do in every season, indoors and out. There are places, events, and activities to please everyone. One source available is www.visitnh.gov. This website offers information on when to visit (depending on your favorite season, mine is summer, don't ask me how I survived this past winter!), where to stay and what to do. The site also provides planning resources where you can search for attractions by region and get directions. While this site is great for those visiting the state, those who live in New Hampshire can find the website just as helpful. The library also has great books on things to do in New Hampshire. Check out some of these titles:

Country roads of New Hampshire by Steve Sherman

Foghorn outdoors: New Hampshire hiking

The two blondes restaurant guide to southern New Hampshire, 2003,
updated and expanded edition by Hillary Davis and Blandine Beaulieu

Discover southern New Hampshire: AMC guide to the best hiking, biking,
and paddling by Jerry and Marcy Monkman

New Hampshire wildlife viewing guide by Judith K. Silverberg

New Hampshire: off the beaten path by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers and Stillman Rogers

For more titles search Subject Keyword: New Hampshire guidebooks. For information and guidebooks on surrounding states, you can also do a subject keyword search for Massachusetts guidebooks, Vermont guidebooks and Maine guidebooks.

Please leave comments about your favorite things to do in New Hampshire!

Check out the new craft display case near the elevator on the main floor of the library. Each month the work of a different local crafter will be exhibited. This month, be sure to look at the beautiful jewelry created by Nashua Public Library’s own Lindsey Jackson. Crafters who would like to display their work at the library should contact Bruce Marks at 589-4626 or bruce.marks@nashualibrary.org.

The library has many books for the avid crafter of any age. Here are some of my favorites:

Decorative sewing: embellish anything with applique, beading, cross-stitch, beading and more by Sarah Beaman.

Elegant wire jewelry: contemporary designs & creative techniques by Kathleen Ann Frey

Get creative with polymer clay by Emma Ralph

American Indian crafts kids can do! by Carol Gnojewski

Salt dough fun by Brigitte Casagranda

Summercrafts: fun and creative projects for the whole family by Marjorie Galen

This is probably the last blog entry I'll write for some time. I'm expecting my first child and will be taking some time off. Fortunately, my job will be held until I return sometime in August. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 stipulates that:

Covered employers must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:
* for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
* for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
* to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
* to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

To learn more about the FMLA, you can take a look at the Department of Labor's website or at the following books in the library:
Your rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act / Margaret C. Jasper
The essential guide to family and medical leave / by Lisa Guerin & Deborah C. England

Source:
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration Wage and Hour Division http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/.

After a recent trip to Foxwoods (and losing a mercifully small amount of money), I'm reminded that the World Series of Poker is around the corner (May 29 to July 16). The most popular form of poker -- and the one that dominates the World Series -- is No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em, the "cadillac of poker games" as Doyle Brunson famously called it. The library has a good selection of books focusing on no-limit in our sports and games section, so if you're a card shark, be sure to visit us and check out the following.

Doyle Brunson's Super System II. The updated classic from the '70s has essays for all poker games, but the chapter on no-limit is the one professionals regard as timeless. Not for beginners, because Brunson plays such a loose (seemingly reckless) style. See also this website which explains why, in the author's opinion, Brunson's wisdom stands the test of time.

Caro's Most Profitable Hold 'Em Advice. A book for limit and no-limit, and Caro doesn't always keep the distinction clear. But the book contains a lot of advice never seen before in a hold 'em book, especially with the section dealing with all the ins-and-outs of treating hold 'em as a business. The author also reviews tips from his classic on tells and advocates strategies for confusing your opponents and making them think you're a weak player.

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book. A solid guide to tight-aggressive play, often recommended for beginning to intermediate players, and popular for its conversational tone, humor, and the author's honest approach to self-assessment.

Play Poker Like the Pros, by Phil Hellmuth. Covers all forms of poker with a helpful chapter on no-limit.

The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Texas Hold 'Em, by Randy Burgess and Carl Baldassarre. If you're just getting started but don't want to take the game too seriously, this is the book for you.

Recently, librarians have been talking a lot about "roving reference." Reference librarians all over the country are roving! But why?

Simply put, roving reference involves reference librarians--you guessed it--roving around the reference department. We've recently started doing this at NPL. This allows us to check on patrons to see whether they need any assistance finding a book, getting information, or dealing with the computer.

We'll still be staffing the reference desk, so if you prefer to come see us there, you'll usually find one of us there to assist you. But you'll also find reference librarians up and about, making themselves available in more locations.

The idea is to break away from the model of the librarian sitting behind a desk, waiting for patrons to come ask for help. Now, as a patron, I like to browse by myself. But as a librarian, many's the time that I've gotten up from the reference desk to help someone, and picked up more questions from other patrons while I was in their area.

Are you a shy browser, or do you like the idea of having librarians get out from behind the desk to come check on how your search is going? Leave us a comment!

Does anybody out there remember the movie Ghostbusters? Ghosts were funny and ghost hunters were crazy! Times have changed. Ghosts no longer look like the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man and ghost hunting equipment is high tech now and not straight from a comic book!

A few nights ago, I found myself watching late night tv - the Science Fiction channel to be exact. The show, called Ghost Hunters, is about a group of people who go to places that are thought to be haunted and try to prove or disprove the haunting. This show caught my attention because the building under investigation was the Palace Theater in Manchester NH. If you like this sort of thing, they have a very interesting website called Ghost Hunters. You do need to have the ability to view video clips and you must have speakers so you can hear the sound portion. There are segments on different programs and on the type of technological equipment needed for a ghost hunt. Incidentally, their verdict on the Palace Theater - not haunted.

Ghost hunting seems to be an "in" activity. I went looking for paranormal organizations around here and found a couple. Ghost Quest is New Hampshire's paranormal research society. They also investigated the Palace Theater in Manchester. Their verdict - haunted. You can read all about their cases on their website. The Cape Ann Paranormal Society is another ghost hunting group. They take requests and come free of charge to investigate your haunting. You can also view "considered real" ghost photos here and buy a ghost hunter teeshirt for your dog. If you really want the whole ghost experience, try Ghostvillage.com, they advertise themselves as " the Web's largest and most comprehensive supernatural community".

I don't know why I'm writing this. I don't believe in ghosts, but I wouldn't walk through a cemetery at night and if I lived next to a cemetery, I'd never leave my house. My husband is one of those people who would go into a cemetery on Halloween night and sit there with a tape recorder just to see what he could hear. It is a fascinating topic. If you have any interest at all in the subject, there are some books here at the library that you might want to take a look at.

The case for ghosts: an objective look at the paranormal

20th century ghosts

Ghost

Dark woods, chill waters : ghost tales from Down East Maine