All is not lost … nor forgotten

All is not lost … nor forgotten

May 4, 2023 / 2 Comments

The Manchester, N.H., chapter of the Silent Book Club recently launched a campaign to save local library books called The Forgotten Books Project.

Apparently libraries will occasionally cull their collections, removing books that patrons haven’t checked out for a long time. With The Forgotten Books Project, our little book club hopes to rescue some of these soon-to-be lost tomes.

We contacted our local librarian and asked her for a list of the books that were the most likely to get the old heave-ho. Next, we began checking out the titles that interested us. I picked up my first batch this week (see image at right).

I plan to read each title, of course, since the topics genuinely interest me. But, I’ll also receive great satisfaction in knowing that I’m saving them. Which means, others will have the opportunity to read these books too.

Every time I look at this stack, I feel a bit like Oprah: You get to stay! And you get to stay!

Perhaps there are some forgotten books at your local library? Now is the perfect time to discover what they are and check ’em out.
Quote of the day

November 20, 2022 / No Comments

“Books hold most of the secrets of the world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had. And when you are reading a book, you and the author are alone together — just the two of you. A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people — people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” –E.B. White
Quote of the week

November 20, 2019 / No Comments

“Aren’t bookshops strange, sitting there with quiet menace, as if they were just a shop and not an entry point to 30,000 different universes?” –Matt Haig
The library’s riches are at your disposal

June 10, 2018 / 1 Comment

When was the last time you walked through the doors of your local library? Last week? Last month? Last year? Now is the perfect time to stop by. I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at everything your library has to offer.

There are few things I enjoy more than getting lost in the stacks. My library — the Manchester City Library — provides residents with free access to hardcovers, paperbacks and ebooks. But locals can also access newspapers, magazines, music, audiobooks, videos and DVDs, games and computer tablets.

My library holds events as well: storytime for kids, book clubs for adults, crafting for teens, movie screenings, classes and lectures for all. During the summer, children can watch a puppet show or improve their literacy skills by reading to therapy dogs. At the park in front of the library, families can meet wildlife ambassadors and watch free outdoor concerts.

But that’s not all! With just a library card, patrons can obtain free and discounted passes to area museums or borrow books from affiliated libraries. Need to use a computer or print a resume? Just log in and get to work. Interested in doing a bit of star-gazing? Then borrow a telescope. Patrons at my library can even check out framed prints to hang in their homes/offices.

As a relatively new homeowner, I’ve been reticent about hanging any artwork on the walls for fear that I’d somehow screw it up. But recently, I decided to take the risk and brighten my rooms with some color. Here are the two framed pieces we checked out last week:

For the kitchen: Country Living I by Vivian Flasch:

And for my library/office: The Crystal Ball Skull by John William Waterhouse:

(I also checked out three ebooks and four hardcovers. How could I not?)
Quote of the week

November 3, 2016 / No Comments

“Walking the stacks in a library, dragging your fingers across the spines –- it’s hard not to feel the presence of sleeping spirits.” –Robin Sloan, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore”