Summer Reading is in Full Swing

by Melissa J. Oleen, Youth Services Supervisor Rowan Public Library

            By the time this goes to press, Rowan Public Library will be heading into its third week of summer reading programing.   It’s never too late to join in and here are my top ten reasons why your child or grandchild should participate.

1) There is a program for everyone at every age.  The library offers 21 different programs each week for seven weeks and that does not include movie night or adult programming.

2) The theme this year is “Every Hero Has a Story”.  Who doesn’t love a good hero story? And not just Marvel Comics, the Library has plenty of hero stories from different backgrounds including biblical, mythological, cultural, political, and even four legged friends.

3) This is not school!  Summer reading is fun reading and all about self-selection.  The advantages of free, voluntary reading include better spelling, writing style and grammatical development without the tests!!

Remember, what your child considers “fun” may be drastically different from your own perception of fun reading.  Accept this.  One of the easiest ways to deter a child from reading is to criticize their reading selection.  No book is too silly, too juvenile, too “wordy”, too big, too picture filled, too old, too popular or too thin.  If a book holds your child’s attention and gets them to read on their own then it’s a good start.

4) Have a tight summer budget?  Summer budget non-existent? Library programs are FREE.

5) Library programs provide an easy way to include quality reading activities in your child’s summer vacation.  Programs developed by our Children’s Staff include activities that encourage some of the best techniques identified by research as being important to the reading process.

6) Library programs strive to meet the social needs of youth and make them feel safe, cared for, useful and valued.

7) Coming to the Library provides children with immediate access to an extensive collection of reading materials in a variety of formats.

8)  Summer is a great time to do things you may not have time to due the rest of the year.  At the library, you and your young reader can experiment with alternate formats such as online magazines, digital and recorded audio books, graphic novels, and electronic books. Finding the right format for your young reader can be just as important as finding the right subject or genre.

9) Studies show that reading for pleasure can reduce stress.  What family doesn’t experience summer stress with everybody home and the temperatures rising?

10) It’s not just for the kids!  Summer Reading is a family activity.  Parents can participate in the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program and, like the kids; track time spent reading and possibly win a prize of their own.

Information about our Summer Reading Program is available on our website or email info@rowancountync.gov and ask to be put on our email list.

Rowan Public Library’s Catalog in Action

by Dara L. Cain Rowan Public Library


If you haven’t had an opportunity to explore Rowan Public Library’s catalog, now is the time! The catalog has some useful features you many not be aware of, including some recently added ones that are sure to be a big hit with teachers and kids. 

The first thing you will want to do is visit http://rowanpubliclibrary.org and select the Find Books link on the library’s homepage.  This link will direct you to the catalog where you will be able to search from thousands of books.  Once you have arrived at the catalog sign in using your library card number and four digit pin number by finding the Login link at the top right hand side of the page.  Don’t worry if you don’t remember your pin number or have not signed up for one yet, the library will be happy to set you up with a new one.  Once you are signed in to your account you will have access to a list of the items you currently have checked out as well as a friendly reminder letting you know when your items are due back.  If your due date is approaching you have the option to renew your books online up to an additional two times on most items.  Also, right from the comfort of your home you can place holds on items you are interested in and the library will notify you when they become available.

Another great feature of signing in to your account is having the ability to create your own personal customized lists for summer reading, book clubs, etc.  When you find a title you would like to add to a list select Add To List, a grey button found below the title and it will give you the option to create a new list or add to an existing one. Teachers especially will find this tool helpful because now they will be able to create lists organized by topics, favorites, etc.  You also have the option to place tags on items in the catalog.  For instance, lets say you want to be able to do a search for all Caldecott or Newbery books but they don’t come up if you enter it in the search box.  Well now you can create a tag for Caldecott or Newbery books by pulling up a title and selecting the link Tag.  A box will appear and you can enter Caldecott or Newbery books to identify the tag you would like to create. All you would have to do now is enter Caldecott or Newbery books in the search box and all of the titles you tagged will come up as a list.  In addition to creating lists and tags you can also save your searches to refer back to later. 

For students that are participating in Accelerator Reader (AR) and Lexile Framework for Reading you are now able to find the Accelerator Reading level and Lexile reading level for titles that come up in your catalog search. You can also do a reading level search by accessing the Reading Levels link at the top right side of the homepage.  It is here that you are able to put in your reading range or a single reading number and a list of titles that meet your criteria will display that you can scroll through and browse.  For those using AR you are also able to narrow your search by AR Interest Level which includes LG (Grades K-3), MG (Grades 4-8), MG+ (Grades 6 and up), and UG (Grades 9-12). You do not have to be logged in to your account to use either of these fantastic features.

You are on your way to using Rowan Public Library’s catalog like a pro.  Happy Catalog Searching!

The Curious Mind

by Pam Everhardt Bloom  Rowan Public Library

Curiosity, a desire to know, is a trait quite prevalent at Rowan Public Library.  Browse the “New Book” area next time you visit the library or use the “New Book” link on our on-line catalog. If you’re curious about people and their motivations, the following selections might trigger your curiosity.

A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman describes and gives accounts of Grazer’s “curiosity conversations” and his philosophy of living a creative life. You might recognize Grazer if you saw his photo and his trademark wild hair even if you don’t recognize the name. Listed as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007, he is the producer of movies such as A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Splash. Grazer describes curiosity “as the state of having an open mind…. a kind of receptivity.” The main chapters make a fascinating read; however take time to check out the addendums. I particularly liked the notes chapter and referred to it constantly while reading the book.

The new book shelves at the library also hold new copies of older editions. Published in 2001, Socrates Café:  A Fresh Taste of Philosophy, is a title possibly familiar. Author Christopher Phillips is also curious and on a mission to bring philosophical inquiry to the masses. With chapters ranging from “What is the Question?” to “Whom Do You Need” to “Why Ask Why,” the book concludes with notes on how to start your own Socrates Café.

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende, provides entertaining stories and insight to the question, “How do you live a more meaningful life?”  Lende has written obituaries in a small town in Alaska for almost twenty years. She compares writing obituaries to living a life - “…we are all writing our own obituary every day by how we live. The best news is that there’s still time for additions and revisions before it goes to press.” This short book is honest, funny and revealing about the life we choose to live.

Totally different from the three somewhat philosophical books above, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo is located in the 648 Housekeeping Section according to Mr. Dewey. I found this book so culturally different from my American mindset that it made me curious in a way that I didn’t expect and I left the book asking myself somewhat philosophical questions about the things I own. Are the objects in my home achieving a purpose and if not, how do I let go? Kondo lists specific ways to do this and even if I haven’t committed to her method of tidying, I did find some very practical and useful hints to accompany my many questions.

            The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer is a companion to Iyer’s 14-minute talk at TED.com. Short in length, deep in depth, this book explores the pleasure of stillness and concentrated attention. More than a book about meditation, Iyer’s storytelling demonstrates the luxury and necessity of being still in our hectic world.

            I left these books asking questions about my life and my motivations. As Brian Grazer writes, “…ask one good question a day, and listen to the answer.” Your listening might begin with a good book from the Rowan Public library, a place where questions abound.

Books by Joel C. Rosenberg

                                                                                                                            

by Dr. Betty Middleton Rowan Public Library

  

Do you enjoy reading thrillers, or exciting crime novels?  Then I recommend the books

written by Joel C. Rosenberg.  Joel was born in Rochester, NY and was a campaign advisor for

Steve Forbes during his Presidential campaign.  That was when Joel became interested in politics

and as he began writing books, he realized the connection between current political happenings

and Biblical Prophecy.

His first novel The Last Jihad was written nine months before the September 11th                               

attacks and begins with a kamikaze attack mission against the President of the United States

which leads to war with Saddam Hussein.   The Last Jihad was on the New York Times         

best-seller list for eleven weeks.

The summary of his second book The Last Days begins with the phrase, “Osama bin

Laden is dead. Saddam Hussein is buried. Bagdad is in ruins,”  and it also made the New York

Times best-seller list!  His next two novels, The Ezekiel Option, and The Copper Scroll deals

with the rise of Russia and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In 2006 he wrote his first non-fiction book Epicenter, which deals with the political chaos

created by Russia and Tehran.  He followed this with another novel, Dead Head, which has

Russia and Tehran racing to build nuclear arsenals.

            His latest novel The Third Target addressed the dangers of the Islamic State and        

al Qaeda and it’s offshoot ISIS is out to conquer the world.  In this book they have already

attacked two governments, brutally killing anyone who opposes them and now they have their

sights on a third target.  But who will it be?

Since beginning his writing career in 2001, Joel has written ten fiction and five          

non-fiction books.  All of them read like the Headline News.  If you have not read any of his

books, try just one.  Any one of them will leave you waiting for the next book to be published.