Binge Watching Television

By Laurie Lyda  Rowan Public Library

Hot summer weather offers the perfect excuse for binge-watching television, and I always enjoy queuing up a good series and working my way through, episode-by-episode. While my most recent binge was Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” I always circle back to British series, a staple in my viewing repository. Luckily, Rowan Public Library’s collection houses many of these titles, and the 10-dvd-checkout-limit per patron account, combined with the two-week checkout period, offers everyone a chance to catch up on some good television.

Based on Winston Graham’s novels, the series “Poldark” stars Aidan Turner (“Being Human,” “The Hobbit” trilogy). Turner’s Ross Poldark is a broody hero who returns home to Cornwall after serving in the American War of Independence. Believed dead by family and friends, his return is met with mixed reactions, and drama ensues as Poldark works to restore his father’s lands and his own reputation. The beautiful landscape accents the compelling performances and storylines, and I’ve been anxious for new episodes since finishing my season one binge.  With the news that season two is (finally!) filming and will air later this year, you’ve got just enough time to catch up on Poldark’s adventures-so-far. “Poldark” and Graham’s novels are part of RPL’s collection.

“Call The Midwife” is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a former nurse who worked in London’s East End after World War II. The series captures the changes wrought in daily lives and attitudes by technological and medical advances, as well as shifting cultural ideals and values. Jenny’s perspective anchors the first three seasons, and I worried that the departure of her character (played by Jessica Raine) would leave a gaping hole in the show’s tapestry. My worry was needless; season four brings the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House into the 1960s and fleshes out the ensemble cast. Vanessa Redgrave, as an older Jenny, continues to provide voiceovers, which helps build continuity with the earlier, Jenny-focused seasons. Renewed for a sixth season, the show continues to be inspired by Worth’s writings. All five released seasons of “Call The Midwife” and Worth’s memoirs are part of RPL’s collection.

Martin Clunes stars in “Doc Martin” as Dr. Martin Ellingham, a famed vascular surgeon who develops a sudden onset of haemophobia, the fear of blood. Unable to perform surgery, he becomes general practitioner for the small village of Portwenn, where his aunt Joan (Stephanie Cole) lives. Ellingham is not, however, used to village life, and he has little patience for his patients and their quirks – though he learns to work on that. The cast of characters is quirky and memorable, and the picturesque backdrop of Port Isaac, Cornwall, lends itself well to the fictional Portwenn. The villagers accept their “Doc Martin” before he fully accepts them, and Clunes deftly portrays his character’s cantankerous-yet-often-sympathetic persona. The series is based, in part, upon “Doc Martin: The Movies,” though the series departs significantly from the films’ narrative. Recently renewed for an eighth and final season that will air in 2017, all seven released seasons of “Doc Martin,” as well as “Doc Martin: The Movies,” are part of RPL’s collection.

For those who enjoy well-crafted, suspenseful, and dark series, “The Fall,” starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, is a must-see. Anderson’s Stella Gibson is sophistication and steel, while Dornan’s Paul Spector is chillingly compelling. Watching Gibson’s cat-and-mouse game with Paul Spector – or is it Spector’s game with Gibson? – is a macabre delight. The third and final season is currently filming, but you can watch the first two now. Both are part of RPL’s collection.

Fans of the classic whodunit with a British flair have several connected series to choose from. “Inspector Morse,” based on Colin Dexter’s series of detective novels, is a series of 33, two-hour episodes featuring Morse (John Thaw) and his partner, Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately). Whately went on to star in “Inspector Lewis,” a series also comprised of 33 episodes. This time, Whately’s Lewis teams up with James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) to solve crime. In 2012, yet another series in this show universe was launched with “Endeavor,” a prequel to “Inspector Morse.” Starring Shaun Evans as Endeavor Morse, the show’s fourth season will air in 2017. Many seasons from all three shows and several of Dexter’s novels are available in RPL’s collection.

Fresh Ideas for Salads

By Edward Hirst  Rowan Public Library

According to Wikipedia, a salad is a dish consisting of small pieces of food, which may be mixed with a sauce or salad dressing. They are typically served cold.

Salads can incorporate a variety of foods including vegetables, fruits, cheese, cooked meat, eggs, grains and nuts. To me they mean a delicious, cool meal during the hot days of summer. It’s a simple concept, enjoying a light and delicious main course salad as a healthy, fresh alternative to more traditional meals.

Garden salads use a single type or mixture of leafy greens like lettuce or spinach. Other types include bean salad, tuna salad, Greek salad and pasta salad. The sauce used to flavor a salad is called a salad dressing. Most salads are served cold, although some, such as German potato salad, are served warm.

The 359-page book, “Salad As a Meal,” by author Patricia Wells, gives readers hundreds of recipes inspired by her Provencal garden. The recipes range from the most basic to the most adventurous. An entire chapter is devoted to dressings and sauces. Some recipes are accompanied by color photographs. The book includes resources for finding ingredients, a list of essential kitchen equipment and items essential for a pantry.

“Mediterranean Fresh,” written by Joyce Goldstein, is 351 pages of one-plate salad meals. There are seven salad chapters divided by leafy green, fruit, vegetable, grain and bean. Two chapters feature either fish or meat as the main ingredient. The book provides 110 recipes for salads and 30 recipes for salad dressings. Most salad recipes offer the choice of additional or alternative ingredients and salad dressings.

Cross-Reading

 by Jenny Hubbard  Rowan Public Library

                                                                                              

I have been a patron of the Rowan Public Library from the time I could hold a pencil, and I’ve been safe and cozy in my own little bubble of fiction ever since.  But now that I’ve begun working here, I’ve been making a valiant effort to stretch myself beyond my comfort zone.  You’ve heard of cross-training?  How about cross-reading?  If what’s good for the body is good for the soul, then surely what’s good for the soul is good for the body.

Let’s say that you too are a fiction reader from way back.  I would advise going easy on yourself at first. Visit the children’s room.  Browse the shelves.  Reunite with a book that you loved as a child.   Forty-two years ago, I linked arms with three girls in turn-of-the-century Minnesota, and when I reread Betsy-Tacy and Tib, by Maud Hart Lovelace, I was right back there with them.  Not only was I was delighted to learn that I had excellent taste in literature at the tender age of nine, I was also able—actually able—to feel nine again.  Time travel does exist, ladies and gentlemen, when you open yourself to pages you’ve opened before. 

Let’s say you’re married to a rabid reader of non-fiction (as I am).  What my husband can whip through in three days might take me three weeks, but that doesn’t mean I’m not appreciating the adventure.  Non-fiction as riveting as any fiction I’ve read includes Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand (about the racehorse); Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson (about a serial killer during the Chicago World’s Fair); and The Children’s Blizzard, by David Laskin (about an 1888 snowstorm on the prairie that blindsided hundreds of recent immigrants).

A more natural transition from fiction to non-fiction lies in the arms of the memoir, which used to be called autobiography and was, more or less, a record of deeds and accomplishments.  Memoirs are personal, intimate, first-hand accounts that do not necessarily tell stories of glory .  Here are two memoirs that neither I nor my students (when I taught high-school English) could put down: The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls, and The Tender Bar, by J. R. Moehringer, who edits the yearly The Best American Sports Writing, which, by the way, is excellent material for cross-reading for you and your teen.

            If you’re ready for an intellectual challenge that will also charm you to the core, New Yorker  columnist Adam Gopnik is your man.  I’ve told my husband that if I ever have the chance to go on a date with Adam Gopnik, I’m going.  (Steve has the same carte blanche with Alison Krauss.)  You’ll understand when you read Gopnik’s Paris to the Moon, a collection of essays about living with his wife and young son in Paris.  At the very least, it will inspire your tastebuds.  Gopnik is a gourmand who will make you yearn for an authentic French meal.

And that takes us straight to cookbooks, which can be super- fun reads.  There are almost always gorgeous photographs of the food, and often the cookbooks include anecdotes to accompany the recipes.  The library has shelves and shelves of cookbooks, located in the 641s.  When I searched “cookbooks” in our on-line card catalogue, I discovered one written for teens by teens, called The Green Teen Cookbook.  Clever parents, take note.  This particular cookbook also offers lessons on how to shop on a budget and how to make the most of what is already in the pantry.

The next time you visit your local branch of the public library, allow yourself ten or fifteen minutes to wander the aisles.  Exercise for the body, exercise for the mind—it’s here for the taking, and, as always, it’s free.

Job Seeker Resources

by Melissa J. Oleen  Rowan Public Library

                Preparing resumes, completing job applications, drafting cover letters.  These are laborious and oppressive activities for many job seekers.  Based on the large number of poorly written resumes, half completed applications and invisible cover letters I have reviewed over the years, which includes a temporary stint copying and alphabetizing hundreds of applications daily in the HR department of a large chain store, they are often treated like the black sheep of the application process – given little attention, rudely treated and hoped that others will just not mention them in public.

                The problem is, they receive attention because they are all prospective employers have to go by when narrowing down applicants.  They reflect your ability to follow instructions, read with understanding, write coherently and pay attention to details.  If you don’t know your reference Bob’s last name, it really doesn’t give prospective employers much hope that you will remember the pass code on your register. 

                Let Rowan Public Library and our FREE Gale Courses help take some of the dread out of the application process.

It is not uncommon to see job seekers give up before they have even started because they do not know how to type.  The idea of typing a resume or filling in an online application is daunting to the hunt and peck crowd.  Gale has a course on keyboarding that will teach you how to touch-type (typing without looking at the keyboard) alphabetic, numeric and symbol keys.  Learning this basic skill will empower you and give you an advantage over applicants who handwrite applications.

Gale Courses for job seekers also include “Resume Writing Workshop”.  This workshop will walk you through creating an effective resume, teach you different resume formats the pros and cons of each and show you how to make the most of your work experience.  To quote a student review of this course “…this was a relatively painless way to end up with a completed resume.”  If that doesn’t encourage you, try the Gale Course “Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search”.  The very first lesson in this course is “Developing and Maintaining A Positive Attitude Throughout  Your Job Search” followed by lessons on defining your ideal job, writing eye-catching resumes and cover letters and how to prepare and practice for interviews.

A vital part of the online application process is having an email address.  Most chain stores have converted to online applications.  Gone are the days when you drove around town filling out applications in stores and personally handing them to managers.  Snagajob.com is considered the largest hourly employment network.  NCWorks Online is an incredible one-stop online resource for job seekers in North Carolina.  Both allow you to search by industry, company or fields but to get started in either, you must have an email address.  To take the Gale courses, you also must have an email address.

In Library computer labs, you can set up free email accounts and regularly check them.  You can take Gale Courses, create and print resumes and cover letters using Microsoft Word or Publisher and search for and apply to jobs online.  Our excellent collection of print materials on job hunting and resume writing is only a few steps away.  And last but not least, reference librarians and lab assistants are onsite to answer questions about accessing and using all of these resources.  

Public Libraries: Changing with the Times

by Abby Hardison  Rowan Public Library

          Many of us who work at the Rowan Public Library field hear the same phrase regularly: “Libraries are going extinct; why would you want to work there?” And many of us reply with something like, “When was the last time you were in a public library?” Anyone who has been in Rowan’s Headquarters on W. Fisher Street in Salisbury would hold their tongue before uttering such a statement. Why? Because our library gets used by a lot of people. The morning after the heavy storm a few weeks ago, every single computer station was occupied on three different occasions. Some of the people were there because they still did not have power. Some of them had just moseyed over from the farmer’s market, and others were just the normal traffic of residents and patrons who utilize the resources we provide six days a week, rain or shine. Most people know that we are a convenient and inexpensive place to access fax, copy and digital scanning services, and RPL has been checking out laptops for use on the premises for years now. But what about the other programs and services we provide?

In their July 4, 2016 edition, the New York Times extensively reported on the public library system in New York’s five boroughs and the burgeoning popularity of their new programs, stating that “All libraries are having a renaissance”. The enormous and well-funded libraries of New York City are showing the world what the potential of public libraries is, but what it means for the rest of the country and specifically the residents of Rowan County is yet to be determined. But mostly it depends on what the patrons want. We want successful programs, so we need to know what will get people in the door. What kinds of classes, seminars, and resources would you want to see in your library? What would people find useful?

New York Public Library offers a huge variety of free or low-cost courses such as sewing, computer coding, crafting, cooking, and gardening, while also providing access to valuable equipment such as a recording studio, Skype stations, and even portable Wi Fi hotspots. Some libraries around the country are even checking out construction tools and appliances to patrons so that home repairs and crafts are accessible without requiring a large financial investment for something that is only used occasionally. The future of your public library is up to the residents and patrons, and we want to make your library exactly what you want. We can grow and evolve into a community resource center, where people can come to either get what they need, or find out where to get it, and how to use it to grow and prosper in their lives.

Soon we plan to open our own “makerspace”, with a 3D printer and some other pieces of equipment for patrons to use. We are very excited to be able to offer our patrons access to tools to inspire, create and learn. There is no substitute for feedback, though, so come see us, come talk to us, and come share with us what you want to see in your library. We can all learn and grow together!

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

by Marissa Creamer  Rowan Public Library

                                                                                                                                                 

The hot, hazy days of July make it the perfect month to celebrate National Ice Cream month, as designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. (He also designated the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day, but why restrict the festivities to just one day?)  According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American consumes almost 22 pounds of ice cream a year. Vanilla continues to be America’s flavor choice, followed by chocolate, cookies ’n cream, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip. It’s hard to believe that this creamy treat that is so readily available today was once a rare and exotic dessert mostly enjoyed by the elite. This began to change around 1800 when insulated ice houses were invented. Ice cream production increased due to technological advances, leading to wider availability and spawning the American soda fountain shop, purveyors of ice cream sodas and sundaes.

Today we have access to ice cream from every supermarket and numerous specialty shops, but the best way to celebrate National Ice Cream Month is to make your own.  A freshly churned batch of ice cream is a great way to bring together family and friends on a hot summer afternoon.  Learn how to make delicious ice cream with Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogerhyde and Anne Walker.  The authors are founders of San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Creamery, which is well known for its small-batch, handcrafted, inventive ice cream, as well as for long lines around the block. Learn their secrets for taking such basic ingredients as milk, cream, and eggs and transforming them into a cool, luscious treat.  Go traditional or try one of the more creative combinations like Orange-Cardamom, Chai-spiced Milk Chocolate, Balsamic Strawberry , Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate, or Honey Lavender.  In addition, recipes are included for Bi-Rite’s famed cakes, cookies, crusts, and sauces so you can create custom frozen treats.    

 While you’re waiting for your ice cream to churn, why not stay cool with a good book? The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street: a novel by Susan Jane Gilman tells the story of a tenacious woman and an ice cream empire. In 1913, little Malka Treynovsky flees Russia with her family, but not long after arriving in America, she is crippled and abandoned by her parents. Taken in by an Italian ices peddler, she learns the secrets of his trade and begins to shape her own destiny. She transforms herself into Lillian Dunkle, “The Ice Cream Queen,” a celebrated television personality with an empire of ice cream franchises. Lillian’s rise to fame and fortune spans seventy years and is linked to the course of American history, from Prohibition to the disco days of Studio 54. But the conniving and profane Lillian Dunkle is nothing like the motherly persona she has created for the media, and when her past begins to catch up with her, her entire empire is at stake.

These books are available at Rowan Public Library, so crank up the ice cream churn and settle down for a cool afternoon.