Collection
Read On! New Year Goals
Welcome to 2020! As you begin to tackle your New Year Goals list, don’t forget that your library can make your goals easier and less expensive to accomplish. We have too many resources to list here, so if I miss one of your goals, let us know and we’ll be happy to help you find you what you need.
If you’re aiming at improving your health we’ve got you covered. We have a plethora of cookbooks, some good workout books and DVDs, books about mindfulness and meditation, and more. We also have materials that focus on specific medical diagnoses that may require lifestyle modifications.
Want to learn a new language? Check out our Mango resource online (or via the app). With more than 70 languages to choose from, you’re bound to find something of interest.
If you’d like to learn a new skill, check out our DIY resources online – “Home Improvement Reference Center” and “Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center” – and our selection of books on everything from knitting to deck-building. Also, keep an eye on our events for adults the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM for workshops on various DIY topics.
Organizing and decluttering are always part of my new year goals, so I’m finding inspiration in our nonfiction collection (specifically in the 648s) with books like “Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness” by Gretchen Rubin.
Of course, we also have plenty of materials through our physical and digital libraries to help you with even the most ambitious reading challenges! Our Books & Brews Book Club from 1 – 3 PM the first Saturday of the month at Fat Toad Brewing is a good place to go to find new books to read and a friendly group of people with whom to discuss them. We’ll be discussing “Fated” by Benedict Jacka at our next meeting on Feb. 1, 2020.
Read On! Weeding
One of the most difficult things for many librarians to do is weed the Library’s collection. “Weeding” in a library is just like weeding in a garden: you take stock of what you have, get rid of things you don’t need or want, thin out anything that is too crowded, and watch the garden (or library collection) flourish.
Healthy library collections, just like healthy gardens, are tended to, weeded, and cared for on a continuing basis. Because we have a finite amount of space in the library building, we have to make sure we have room for the new materials we purchase by weeding the material we no longer need in the collection.
We don’t take this part of our job lightly and we make every effort to ensure the books we weed from the collection find a new home. That’s why you’ll see a good rotation of books in our book sale ($0.25 for hardbacks, $0.10 for paperbacks), and some books or other items on our free cart.
Generally speaking, when a book is taken out of our collection it is either not being used by the community (usually we look at the last 2-5 years), is no longer accurate (like books with Pluto listed as a planet), or interest in the book has gone down and we no longer need multiple copies. We also look at the condition of our other books to make sure they’re not falling apart or torn up. If they are, and it’s a book we want to keep in the collection, we’ll buy a newer copy of the book if it’s still in print.
An interesting result of regular weeding and collection maintenance like this is that our physical checkouts increase. It may seem backwards, but when we look at the statistics of this year (after we completed a major weeding project) versus last year, our checkouts are up by 600-1000 items every month. For a collection of just over 30,000 items, that’s significant!
Read On! To reread or not to reread
Do you reread books? I find that when my life gets hectic or my stress levels creep higher and higher, I’m more likely to grab an old favorite than delve into a new world. For me, there’s comfort in reading or listening to a book again. I already know how the book makes me feel, I know where the narrative goes, and I don’t have to expend any energy or emotion wondering if it will all work out. It’s like visiting with an old friend or wrapping up in a warm blanket.
When I asked the staff at the Pryor Library if they reread, I found I was not alone. Most of us do. And for similar reasons. Some of us reread books that feel like home and bring us comfort. Others reread books that act as a catharsis to process difficult emotions. The few of us who do not reread point to the number of unread books and possibilities for new adventures as their reason why they don’t revisit old stories.
Our discussion yielded a good list of what we like to reread. Maybe you’ll find some rereading comfort here too.
“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
“Solace of Open Spaces” by Gretel Ehrlich
“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones
The “Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan
“The Stand” by Stephen King
The “Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis
The “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer
“Gone with the Wind: by Margaret Mitchell
“Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery
“Lamb” by Christopher Moore
“Sabriel” and “Lirael” by Garth Nix
“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls
The “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling
“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
If you want to learn how to make your own warm blanket to wrap yourself in while you read, don’t forget to join me on Thursday, Nov. 14th at 6:30 PM for our Intro to Knitting class. You’ll need to bring 100% cotton yarn and knitting needles.
Read On! Finding good books for kids
Recently, I had a great conversation with another mom at the library about what books our kids like to read, what restrictions we place on their reading choices, and how we help them find books that make everyone happy. The other mom and I don’t have the same guidelines for our kids’ reading choices, but we both know that the decisions we’ve made work best for our kids and our families and wouldn’t ever try to impose our rules on another family. We do, however, use the same quick research techniques when helping our kids decide what is appropriate for them.
We both like to read the book’s summary, look at the publisher’s intended audience, and try to find any professional reviews we can (I tend not to trust consumer reviews found on sites like Amazon or GoodReads unless there are a lot of reviews).
The Library’s online catalog is a good place to start finding information about a particular book. It will give you a quick summary, reading and interest levels, and subject headings. Most of the books in our collections for young people also have the AR levels and points listed in the catalog too.
For professional reviews, I look at the “Editorial Reviews” section of the book’s Amazon listing. I also chat with Chris from The Book Exchange here in town. He has access to a lot of good resources. If all else fails, I’ll read the book first.
Explaining the guidelines for appropriateness to kids is an essential step in this process. This helps them understand our decisions and it gives them boundaries when making choices for themselves.
There is so much content out there for kids to enjoy, it’s not difficult to find a replacement. The staff at your library is always happy to help you find books that are appropriate for your kids, so let us know how we can help.