Most of us can’t imagine how to “get there from here” without taking an Interstate highway. Influenced by President Eisenhower's appreciation of Germany’s Autobahn during World War II, the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 was enacted to construct a nationwide highway system for the purpose of moving people, goods, and troops, quickly and efficiently, throughout the country. Prior to this the Federal government designated a national system of U.S. Highways, or U.S. Routes beginning in 1926, to facilitate highway transportation. While many of the U.S. Routes still exist – notably U.S. 1 stretching from Maine to Florida – most have had significant segments replaced by Interstate highways.

Perhaps the most legendary U.S. Highway of them all is Route 66. Established in 1926, Route 66 carried traffic 2,448 miles diagonally across the country from Chicago to Los Angeles. It spawned the hit song "Route 66" in the sixties which was recorded by a number of artists (we have 6 different recordings in our CD collections). With exotic roadside attractions and destinations – such as the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona – and the ultimate destination: Los Angeles, Route 66 was a roadtripper’s dream and an American cultural icon from the early days of automobile travel. The library has several books that recapture the spirit of the road:

Route 66 Remembered by Michael Karl Witzel, 1996,
Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis, 1990, and
Route 66: The Highway and Its People a photographic essay by Quinta Scott, 1988.

The National Park Service's Heritage Education Service has also created a wonderful multimedia Route 66 Travel Guide that allows you to experience the old highway and all its delights through the comfort and convenience of the internet.

The road also inspired the television drama “Route 66” which aired from 1960 to 1964 starring Martin Milner and George Maharis. Beginning with Nelson Riddle’s memorable theme, each episode unfolded on location, not on a soundstage in Burbank, California, which was often the case in the early years of television. Characters Tod Stiles (Milner) and Buz Murdock (Maharis) traveled the country, on Route 66 and beyond, in a Corvette convertible. Big name guest stars, such as Robert Redford, Suzanne Pleshette, Martin Sheen, William Shatner, Rod Steiger, James Caan, Julie Newmar, and many others appeared on the program.

Recently released on DVD, Route 66 adds another dimension beyond its memorable theme song, strong characters, and superb scripts. It inadvertently documents an America that was at the time not so homogeneous. Restaurants and stores were locally-owned, the countryside was undeveloped, and regional differences more apparent than they are today.

The library has the first season of Route 66 consisting of the first 30 episodes on 4 DVDs. So take a step back 50 years and get your kicks on Route 66.

Meet Molly Kirby, a new member of my family. I call her my first "grandpuppy". Choosing a new family member can be tough. The first item to be considered is the most important, especially from the pet's point of view. Can you afford the cost of an additional family member? A family member who may not need shoes and clothes, but who will need food, accessories, vet appointments, shots, and the occasional treat. Nothing could be harder on everyone involved than giving up a much loved member of the family because you can't afford to keep a pet.

If you decide that your budget can support the cost of a pet, there are more choices to be made. First-time pet parents need to decide what type of pet would be a good fit for their family. How much care and maintenance is involved in your choice? How much time will family members be able to spend with the pet each day? Having made those decisions, there are still more things to consider. Will the pet be a pure-bred or a combination of breeds? Will the pet be from a breeder or from a shelter? How can you be sure that the pet you have chosen has no underlying health problems? What type of behaviors can you expect from this type of pet?

With all of this information to locate and ponder, you may need advice! You can call your local animal shelter or a veterinarian for help. You can also visit the library. Nashua Public Library has a large collection of books to help you choose a pet. I've listed some of them here.

Your pet bird: a buyer's guide
The hamster: an owner's guide to a happy,healthy pet
The ferret handbook
House rabbit handbook: how to live with an urban rabbit
The perfect kitten: how to raise a problem-free cat
The kitten owner's manual
Cats for dummies
The perfect puppy
Before you buy that puppy
Saved! A guide to success with your shelter dog
Successful dog adoption

After you choose your pet, you need to learn how to care for it, how to safeguard its health, how to train it and of course, how to teach it tricks. We have books to help with those things too!

Mark Prensky coined the term digital natives to describe those born after the advent of digital technology, circa 1980. He postulates that they differ fundamentally from those who came before. To carry this analogy a bit further, Prensky poses that even if we digital immigrants learn the language, we will always retain an accent.

Lark Birdsong calls many adults older than 50 technological outliers—“people at the end of the curve for receiving information literacy instruction [and] who are getting little or none,” with the understanding that not just their age, but their schooling and training may have kept them from picking up technological skills. Carol Bean, in a post on her BeanWorks blog, reminds us that libraries have become a place of refuge for older adults caught in the digital divide. As the old familiar formats become less available and more information and entertainment goes digital, those in their 50s, 60s and beyond may become threatened by marginalization if they do not learn computer skills. But so much to learn!

Public libraries have risen to the challenge; library-based computer classes are widespread and older adults make up a large portion of the attendees. Organizations such as SeniorNet also aim to bring all those who are willing into the world of computers.

Besides offering computer classes and computers for free public use, our library also offers books (surprise!), whether they be digital or in print, to take library users from computer illiteracy to proficiency. Novices can start with handbooks in all the series you would expect to give you an easy-to-understand foundation: Absolute Beginner’s guides, Complete Idiot's guides, and the For Dummies series, as well as others. Here are just a few samples:

Computers for seniors for dummies by Nancy Muir.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Computer Basics by Joe Kraynak.
How computers work by Ron White ; illustrated by Timothy Edward Downs.
Absolute beginner's guide to computer basics by Michael Miller.

300 incredible things for seniors on the Internet by Joe West & Ken Leebow ; cartoons, Randy Glasbergen].

Using the Internet safely for seniors for dummies by Linda Criddle and Nancy Muir.
Windows 7 for dummies (2 books).

Rule the Web : how to do anything and everything on the Internet-- better, faster, easier by Mark Frauenfelder.

E-mail for beginners by Web Wise Seniors.
PCs for dummies by Dan Gookin.
Macs for seniors for dummies by Mark L. Chambers.

How to be a geek goddess : practical advice for using computers with smarts and style by Christina Tynan-Wood.

Digital nation : toward an inclusive information society by Anthony G. Wilhelm
Internet effectively: a beginner's guide to the World Wide Web by Tyrone Adams.