Free language instruction!

Holy Moly! I forgot about the audio language programs you can download right from ListenUp Vermont with your patron barcode #!

Let's go... global!

How about trying a language? Just try one. There won't be a test. I actually made it to the second level of Italian. Recently I tried Arabic. OK, I barely got through the first cd, but I'll try it again sometime, and I picked out the phrase "excuse me" in the movie Body of Lies. Che bello!

We have some videos for basic French, Spanish and Italian, lots of travel videos and dvds, you could sing along with "Marriage of Figaro", or come to one of our "language lunches" for some real immersion. (Again, no pressure; just come and listen, if you'd like.)

Oh sure, you could try one of those internet translation sites, but....

The closing of the year

The economy seems to be in freefall, but the streets of Montpelier are packed with throngs of shoppers. In this storm, it feels as though we are holding on to the things that are closest to us: our shops, our local charities, our traditions, and yes, our library. The "Evening at the Library" on December 6th saw an unprecedented turnout, and people are still stopping us on the street to tell us what a great time they had. Our guest of honor, Tom Slayton and our hosts, Chris and Nancy Graff made it a special night for all of us.

We are so grateful for your support as we work to make sure that the library doors remain open to the some 850 children and adults who walk through them each day. In tough economic times, people who come to the desk are telling us that the library is more important to them than ever. We will continue to do everything we can to give you the best possible service.

As the year draws to a close, it's good to reflect on all of the things that make our lives worthwhile, even in times of scarcity: friends, family, good food, a place to gather, a good book.

02

Was listening to a very good cd, DAUGHTER OF TIME by Josephine Tey. (Well, actually required alot of jumping back a track or two to try and keep all those
British royals straight.) Excellent reader. There was a great quote about libraries which I
didn't jot down while driving, so got to work, ran upstairs, got the book, here it is. The character was sent to buy a book by Sir Thomas More. However-
"No T. More in any of the bookshops, so tried Public Library. Can't think why one never thinks of Public Libraries. Probably because books expected to be soupy. Think this looks quite clean and unsoupy. You get fourteen days. Sounds like a sentence rather than a loan." Scribner paperback ed, 1995, p.70.

Where do you enjoy audiobooks- driving, walking, knitting, painting, ...? Has to be a good reader, though.

Want to see what you have checked out and when it's due? Go to our online card catalog, click the My Info tab, type in your entire patron barcode number (on back of your library card) and the password is your last name.

BTW, wonder what all those IM and text messages SAY? Here's a list of internet acronyms and text messaging shorthand.

Last but not least, take a stroll down School St during the day sometime and enjoy the aroma coming from Manghi's. OML

Who's Haunting the White House?

As Barack Obama enters the White House, do you think he feels a chill? Does he notice the stirring in Lincoln's bedroom? Find out what ghosts lurk inside the president's mansion when Author Jeff Belanger and local illustrator Rick Powell come to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library on Saturday, November 22 at 1pm in the East Montpelier Room. Rick has been a guest at the Dark Knight Comics Club and is the owner of Montpelier's Book Garden book store. He has the original artwork hanging up in the store, and will bring some of those works to the library. If you're a comics fan, or a fan of illustration, its cool to chat with Rick to hear what his challenges were. He told me that it wasn't easy to draw something that "wasn't there". How do you draw something transparent like a ghost. Good question. I hear Jeff Belanger is an authority on hauntings. I'm sure he'll be able to send a chill up your spine with his true accounts of ghost sighting. Come check it out!

New StoryWalk™ going up in Hubbard Park

A new StoryWalk™ book will be posted in Montpelier’s Hubbard Park beginning November 21 and lasting until December 8, 2008. The book, South, by award-winning cartoonist Patrick McDonnell is a great little book. When a little bird awakens to find that all of his friends and family have gone south for the winter, it takes a surprising friendship with Mooch the cat to help him find his way. This is a wordless and profoundly moving story--by the creator of the beloved comic strip Mutts--that explores being lost and found, crossing boundaries, saying goodbye, and broadening horizons. Bring your family for a walk after Thanksgiving and enjoy a good book and nature.

The Kellogg-Hubbard library has this book in our collection in the children's department. Check it out!

The StoryWalk™ Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Historic Photos tell Montpelier's History

Anyone interested in Montpelier's history will want to take a look at the new book, Montpelier: Images of Vermont's Capital City, put together by Paul A. Carnahan and Bill Fish. The book is full of historic photos of Montpelier and the people who lived here beginning with a sketch of our little city that was done by Sarah I. Watrous in 1821. There are photos of floods and fires, parades, street scenes with horses and buggies, and some of the businesses that used to thrive on State Street and Main Street.

Ever wonder what the school looked like that educated Montpelier's children before Union Elementary School? It's in the book. Did you know that Montpelier's bridges at one time were covered bridges? Can you imagine the hill behind our State House without any trees?

Still, some of the photos look as if they were shot yesterday except that the cars in the setting are from the 1920s and 1930s.

From snow rollers and sleighs to the trolley that ran in Montpelier, this book will give a whole new perspective on how Montpelier has changed and yet stayed the same over its 200+ year history. Be sure to check it out.

Stuntology at the Kellogg-Hubbard this Saturday.

On Saturday, October 18, my personal hero Sam Bartlett will be coming to the Kellogg-Hubbard to show off his newest compilation of tricks, gags, and general feats of strange behavior to the unsuspecting citizens of Montpelier. The new book is called The Best of Stuntology, and within its pages you will find some of the simplest, and most effective stunts to play on friends and family. But not just practical jokes, Sam also shows you how to speak in "Bing Crosby" and how to make broken toothpicks come to life. If you have ever had a moment of boredom in a restaurant, and feel like making some tabletop mischief, this book is for you. Sam is also a world-class banjo plucker, so maybe he'll treat us to some of that as well. On top of all of this, Sam is a great illustrator, whose distinct style allows him to bend and contort his characters to the demanding backwards bending of Stuntology. Sam professes his Stuntology at 10:30 am on Saturday October 18th in the East Montpelier Room. All ages are invited. FREE!
Yours in Stuntology,
Ben t. Matchstick

Marie Countryman's Photos of Church Steeple Renovation

One of the events we watched in Montpelier from October, 2007 to April, 2008, was the renovation of the Trinity United Methodist Church steeple. In the snow, rain, and sleet (you know what Vermont weather is like) the steeple jacks could be seen on what looked like thin threads dangling high above the treetops, first taking off the old wooden shingles, then replacing them with "Grace Ice and Water Shield" underlayment. Finally, the slate was attached, designed with the colored stone in stripes, hearts, zigzags and a cross. The final installation will be enjoyed by Montpelierites for at least 150 years.

While the steeple jacks were amazing to watch, probably what most of us missed seeing was the talented photographer, Marie Countryman, standing on the sidewalk below. She faithfully took photos of the church steeple as it was renovated. With some of these photos and 2 articles from The Montpelier Bridge newspaper about the steeple, she created a photo document binder for the library to share with our patrons. Her 34 beautiful photographs tell the story from the staging of the site to the final design. She introduces us to the guys who did the work, plus a page on the slate that was used and why.

We are lucky that Marie was so devoted to capturing this project with her camera.

Please take some time to look at her work. It is located at the Adult Circulation desk.
OFFICE VT REF 287.6 C

Hathaway Award winner for Vermont history

Sort of the “Academy Awards” for best Vermont history, the Vermont Historical Society each year gives an award for “the most outstanding contribution to Vermont history in any medium” produced during the previous year. The award is named for Richard O. Hathaway, longtime history teacher and enthusiast of all things Vermont who died several years ago.

This year there were two titles honored. They are both extremely well done works, worth a look if you haven’t checked them out. Both titles are in our collection.

1. “If Stone Could Speak [videorecording]: A Documentary,” by Randy Croce, in cooperation with the Labor Education Service, University of Minnesota.

This DVD tells the story of the granite carvers who came to Barre (and Montpelier) from Italy. Croce interviewed many of the artists and their families, some who stayed here in Vermont and some who returned to Italy. It’s an amazing look at the immigrants who have added a colorful story to the art of the granite carvers and the monuments they created.

2. “The Troubled Roar Of The Waters: Vermont In Flood And Recovery, 1927-1931” by Debora Pickman Clifford and Nicholas R. Clifford.

Just in time for the 80^th anniversary of the 1927 flood, this book gives an academic but very readable explanation of how the 1927 flood changed Vermont. It wasn’t just the huge damage that the flood caused, but also the way Vermonters bounced back and even charged into the future. The historic photos of the amazing power of the flood waters help explain the dramatic stories of the Vermonters who were tested. “The Troubled Roar Of The Waters” is sure to become the classic on how Vermonters pull life back together after a major natural event.

Congratulations to the two “outstanding contributions” for this year’s Hathaway Award!

Programs at the Library

It's that time again! In September we will host quite a variety of programs, speakers, series, authors and just plain fun!

The Healthier Living Worshop, a six week series, will be offered for the second time here at the library beginning Thursday, September 4th from 1:30pm to 4pm. Moderators, Anne Ferguson and Bonnie Alexander from the Vermont Department of Health, will be on hand to teach you how to deal with frustration, fatigue, and pain, improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, manage medications, learn healthy eating habits… and much more. Since space is limited you have to register ahead of time by calling the Central Vermont Medical Center Community Health and Education Department 802-371-4198 or email galena.magee@hitchcock.org.

Johnson State College Professor Frederick Wiseman will show a movie, Darkness Falls, and discuss the discovery of Lake Champlain in 1609 by Samuel Champlain from a native perspective. This is part of Vermont Archaeology Month a partnership between Vermont Archaeological Society and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

Two authors will talk about their books: Madelyn Holmes and Ann Micou. Holmes' book, Students and Teachers of the New China, will be interesting in light of what television viewers saw during the Olympics. Micou's book, A Guide to Fiction Set in Vermont for Children & Young Adults, presents descriptions of 441 picture books, easy readers, and children’s and young adult fiction with a Vermont setting and published between 1838 and 2007.
Holmes will be here on Wednesday, September 17 at 7pm and Micou on Thursday, September 25 at 7pm.

On Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm poet and essayist Jim Schley will talk about why he still loves Robert Frost. He will tell us why this complicated poet (and difficult, cantankerous man) continues to engage his and other modern sensibilities and imaginations.

We have something really fun for Displaced Southerners! We are looking for folks raised in the south that miss their southern friends, food, accent and culture. So, if you or someone you know is a “displaced southerner” and feels the need to visit with folks that share their heritage or just want to eat and “tawk” with other folks who know what pink eyed purple hull peas are, mark your calendar for September 23 at 6:30pm.

Another three-week series on Mondays at 6:30pm is called, DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AGING –for elders and those who care for and about them. This free series will show you how to have“less difficult” conversations with your family members that resolve crucial issues related to aging.

6:30-8:30pm
Monday, September 15: Get a grip on family history so you can talk about the money
Monday, September 22: Deal with fears lurking in discussions about health
Monday, September 29: Sort out the relationship between home and identity.

Co-sponsored by Montpelier Community Justice Center, Central Vermont Council on Aging & KHL

Don't forget to pick up a program schedule at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library!

Working at the Kellogg-Hubbard

I just finished a book entitled, Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, by Danny Danziger. Danziger took time to interview people who worked at the museum, from cleaners to curators to security officers to trustees, giving each person a chance to tell their story. It's a great book.

Something in the author's preface jumped out at me: "I was struck by the level of commitment from everybody whose life is touched by the Met, whether it's the time and money that the trustees voluntarily give, or the pride and commitment that the employees feel. Perhaps there are employees nursing cynical and harsh feelings toward their places of employment...But in this place, it is as if Oberon had sprinkled fairy dust over the lot of them...."

This is the way I see theKellogg-Hubbard Library. In July alone we saw the July 3rd parade, the annual lawn party, Senator Leahy's visit to the Comics Club, Warner Bros. Pictures special screening of The Dark Knight, and the Onion River Century Ride to benefit the library. It's as if everyone who comes into contact with the Kellogg-Hubbard gets a sprinkling of Oberon's fairy dust - staff, volunteers, patrons and donors. In terms of patron support and staff commitment you'd have to look very far indeed to find a library as loved and as supported. It's an honor to be part of it.
Hilari Farrington,
Library Director

ORS Century Ride July 26, 2008

It looks like we'll have a great day for the 5th Annual ORS Century Ride tomorrow. Carrie Baker Stahler, Marketing Director at Onion River Sports, and Pinky, Montpelier's own Citizen of the Year, were busy this morning putting the food boxes together for the five food and drink stops along the route for the cyclists. Folks from the Kellogg-Hubbard Library(the beneficiary of the funds raised from this ride), and ORS will be on hand tomorrow morning beginning at 7am, at the Montpelier Rec Field for registration. Registration is $65 which includes tickets to the end-of-the ride BBQ. There are two routes, 100k (62 miles) and 110 miles. Both routes start and end at the Montpelier Rec field. The 62 miler goes to Hardwick, Morrisville, Elmore and back to Montpelier. The 110 miler goes to Hardwick, Barton, Irasburg, Albany, No. Wolcott, Elmore then back to the rec field. The scenery is gorgeous.

We are still looking for some people to work at the BBQ at the rec field, 1-3pm and 3-5pm. If you are interested in helping out please call the library at 223-3338.

New this year is having WDEV broadcasting live during the ride. So if you're not riding or working on the Century Ride you can still hear what's going on by tuning into WDEV, AM 550 or FM 96.1. Tom Beardsly will tell you all about the Century Ride!

Martin, Janet and Gustavo in India

We received an email from Martin and Janet telling us of their arrival in India. They are living in Kodaikanal at a boarding school for the next 9 months. Martin will be working in the development office, Janet will be teaching English as a second language and health sciences to 12 year olds. Gustavo will be attend school with classmates from around the world.

Here is an excerpt from their email:

Like everyone else who visits India from the west, it is impossible to not comment on the excruciating poverty. We have seen mostly an agricultural economy: people (mostly women) working the fields by hand; transporting or selling produce. The old, unemployed, and less physically able are left to fend for themselves and it is a stark sight.

But we are thrilled to be here. Gus is learning to play cricket (his new “favorite” sport) with all his new friends. He is fascinated by the monkeys and the wild bison (we’ll tell you more in another letter) and looking forward to starting school. One of his subjects will be Tamil (the local language). All of us are enjoying the scenery, the food, and the chance to live a different life.

THE DARK KNIGHT WAS A BRIGHT LIGHT

Barry M. Meyer, Chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures summed it up: "I think I can safely say that this is the first time Warner Bros. has had a world premier in Montpelier, Vermont." Raucous applause followed from the sold out audience in the second theater as the anticipation continued growing for the nation's first public viewing of The Dark Knight, this summer's blockbuster Batman film. What followed was nearly two and one-half hours of gripping special effects, dialogue, acting and audience engagement that confirmed the other pithy comment made by Meyer, "I guarantee you have never seen anything like this." All this took place to benefit the Kellogg-Hubbard Children's Library in Montpelier.

It began a couple months ago when Warner Bros. approached Senator Leahy to ask if they could do this for him, knowing of his great affection for the library. The Senator is known for taking his original tattered library card from his wallet to make the point that he attributes any success or civic or national contributions, to his early experiences in the Children's Library. It was during those early years when he became a Batman comic fan. Through an interesting story we will not elaborate here, he made his way into earlier flicks and landed a cameo appearance in this one. He has worked through the years to ensure that other youngsters have opportunities to become avid readers and envision a productive future for themselves and others.

We began planning a special meeting of The Dark Knight Comics Club and Super Girls Comics Club, which were established by KHL's own Ben T. Matchstick. That happened on the afternoon of July 12. Great exchange between the club members and the Senator.

Corporate sponsors from Vermont and around the country contributed to support this event and other supporters from the area made a generous gift to attend a special reception at the Capitol Plaza Hotel prior to the watching the movie. Let's salute the Capitol Plaza Hotel staff and the Capitol Theatre for a little "above and beyond" effort adding to this successful evening.
Of course the entire Library Staff was involved for several weeks, while still working on their primary mission of patron service.

The Library, Montpelier, central Vermont and the State received a lot of national attention in the press. A number of the folks and VIPs we spoke with were so impressed with the area, that they plan to return for a longer visit.

As for the movie itself? It officially premiers July 18, and you should experience it yourself. Meanwhile, KHL and the Children's Library are here to welcome your many visits. Come!

Kellogg-Hubbard on Parade

I'm not sure how many libraries across the country featured a "Book Cart Precision Drill Team", Storm Troopers and an AT-AT Walker from Star Wars, not to mention a large cardboard Batman in their July 4th parades. But the Kellogg-Hubbard librarians and their friends put on a pretty good show for the community on July 3rd. In fact, people are still stopping us on the street to tell us.
"I didn't know that librarians could be so funny," said one parade-goer.

Don't forget to see if there are any tickets left for The Dark Knight special screening and reception this Saturday, brought to us courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures to honor Senator Leahy. Movie tickets were just about sold out when I last checked. In fact, when I called to order books from our jobber in Tennessee, the person on the line said, "Hey - you've been in the news!" It seems that NPR, AP, and The Washington Post have all been talking about the library in little Montpelier, thanks to Senator Leahy's loyalty to his childhood library.

Books & Such

Ah, Wednesdays..
A patron just brought back The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg [the Danish author who published Smilla's Sense of Snow about 15 years ago - a terrific novel, by the way, if you haven't read it, except for the ending, which as I recall kind of falls apart and my isn't this a giant digression] and said "I'm not sure I can recommend this. It's just weird. Really really weird. I'd kinda like you to read it so we can talk about it". Well, sure. What librarian wouldn't want a challenge like that? So I've now read the front cover synopsis and you know what? It sounds weird. Really really weird. This should be fun.

We had Mystery Group Monday evening at Bear Pond - talked about Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller [the first Sharon McCone novel] & A Great Deliverance [the first Lynley/Havers et al novel] by Elizabeth George. Terrific discussion, I thought - strong opinions, enthusiastically expressed. And we decided that, for a novel published in 1977, the Muller is remarkably undated. Maybe that's because there's not a lot of 'you-are-there' description - just crisp dialogue & good characters. The only - glaring - exception is McCone's police lieutenant/ future love interest, who persists in calling her 'papoose'. Really, she should've just smacked him one & been done with it [although they do eventually break up, can't imagine why.] The McCone books are a terrific series. Muller's one of the relatively few authors - Bill Pronzini, Lawrence Block, Margaret Maron & Walter Mosley are some others - whose characters actually change believably over time. And can anyone think of anyone else?

Summer is a great time to visit Kellogg-Hubbard

I joined Kellogg-Hubbard Library as its new executive director last month and am enjoying getting to know the wonderful staff, board of directors, volunteers and the many patrons who come here daily. I am following Martin Hahn, who served so astutely for three years and is now off on an exciting life and professional adventure for a year overseas. We wish him the very best.
We are fortunate to have the tremendous support of so many folks in our direct service area as well as those who choose to come here from other towns.
My professional background includes organizational management, fund development, marketing, communications, media relations, public relations, customer satisfaction, volunteer management, among other things. I have been involved in the communities of central Vermont in various ways, including the Boy Scouts of America, Rotary Club of Montpelier and Green Mountain United Way, for which I currently serve as president.
When I first heard late last fall that this position might be opening, I immediately contacted Martin and the board to express my interest and began doing some research on libraries and their future. Libraries have always evolved to meet the needs of their patrons and the future of libraries looks even more exciting than their significant past. We are enjoying an increase in patron visits and lending despite the technology explosion.
Please drop by for a visit this summer. Check out our website at www.kellogghubbard.org for a schedule of activities. I also invite you to consider being a donor to keep the library going and to contact me or one of our staff to discuss leaving a legacy to this wonderful organization which was founded in 1894 and has continually served the area since then.
Best wishes for a memorable Vermont summer!

Daniel L. Pudvah, Executive Director

Louise Penny

We had Rapid Reviews at Bear Pond Books last night [having openly swiped the idea from the library, thank you very much] and one of the more enjoyable things about it - besides getting to listen to the other people that were there - was getting to rave about Louise Penny. Woo-hoo! Louise Penny: Canadian. Author of three novels so far in the Three Pines mystery series [Still Life, A Fatal Grace, The Cruelest Month]. A superb writer. A clever and subtle [without being mechanical - you never hear story joints creaking] plotter. Creator of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete. Creator also of Three Pines, a small Quebec village, and the inhabitants thereof - inhabitants among whom I - and you, I bet - would actually want to live. AND she apparently knows her hockey. Louise Penny: maybe the first great crossover Canadian mystery author. I'm a fan. Jump on the bandwagon now.

Yankee Paperback's closing

So, you've probably heard: Yankee Paperback Exchange [aka 'The Yankee'] is closing. Saturday, June 21 will be its last day. I'm feeling kind of melancholy about this. On the one hand, Bob & Toni [Forrend] have kept the store going for over 30 years; they richly deserve their retirement. On the OTHER hand - I'm really gonna miss 'em. They're terrific people. I was in the store last Saturday watching them herd their granddaughter around while she & her small friend put up books and remembered their daughter doing much the same thing [25?] years ago. It's a great success story.
And the books: any number of writers who have become popular here in hardcover showed up first at the Yankee in paperback. Donna Leon? She showed up at the Yankee in paperbacks from Canada before she was ever published in the States. Charlaine Harris? I found both the Aurora Teagarden & Sookie Stackhouse series there one fine day. And this is not even to mention the romance section. Name a romance writer, Toni could give you a rundown on her [or his, pseudonymically] output. And she's a pretty fair guesser-from-vague-descriptions too.
They started a paranormal romance/suspense section a year or so ago, too. [Well, where else would you put Sookie?] In that section, about a month ago, I found my new favorite writer. Her name is Patricia Briggs. She's published science fiction and fantasy novels before and is now three novels in to the Mercy Thompson series [Moon Called, Blood Bound, & Iron Kissed] about an auto mechanic who can also shapeshift to coyote form. As it happens, this comes in handy. I think Briggs will be the Next Big Thing - her first hardcover, fourth in the Thompson series, will come out next year and I'm sure the library will get it - but without Yankee Paperback I'd never have heard of her, much less have zipped through most of her books. The Yankee's the best. Send Bob & Toni your good thoughts, or just stop in to wish them well. Me, I'll be stopping by Thursday. And maybe Friday.

Bear Pond Mystery Group

Well, it's been a while...

For the past few months, we've had a Mystery Book Group going at Bear Pond Books [my other place of semi-gainful employment] and it's been a load of fun: good books, good discussions, and stuff I wouldn't ordinarily have read. I think particularly of the very first Georges Simenon Maigret novel - A Man's Head, if you're wondering. Man, it was terrific: short, really powerful, and an interesting portrait of Paris in the 1930's. And it didn't feel even slightly dated despite being published in 1931. Yowza. We have a bunch of other Simenons here in the library - libraries are so good for that - & I'm looking forward to plowing through them.

We're doing one newish & one 'classic' book each month, by the way; our books for June are A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George & Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller. The Muller book - the first modern private eye novel featuring a woman, way predating Sue Grafton - is, sadly, out of print. Again, nice thing about libraries. Other books we've read recently are The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Rees & The Janissary Tree by Goodwin [newbies] and Whose Body? by Sayers & The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Christie. And raving about Christie [or Goodwin] can be a whole different post. Our next meeting is Monday, June 30 at 7:00p at Bear Pond. I'd take suggestions for books & authors, too. Feel free to throw 'em on, below.

Rosie's Girls Summer Program

SUMMER CAMP OPENINGS
A program by Vermont Works for Women

Rosie's Girls Summer Program 2008, a three-week summer day camp for girls entering
6th – 8th grades, has camper openings for the Central, VT sessions.

The 2008 dates and times are:
BARRE: July 21 - August 8, 2008
Monday - Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Rosie's Girls is a unique and exciting program for middle school girls combining hands-on instruction in the skilled trades with a rich array of expressive arts activities. The camp gives girls a chance to develop their own strength, power, and confidence in an atmosphere that is fun, encouraging, positive, and empowering as they do things like:
• build a toolbox
• design and wire their own lamp
• weld a metal sculpture
• get under the hood of a car
• Paint a mural
• learn self-defense
• construct a gift for a local community service project
• silkscreen t-shirts
• swim for fun
• practice yoga
• voice their opinions in a constructive setting

Financial aid is available.

For more information, or to request an application, call (802)655-8900/toll free 1-800-639-1472 or email rosiesgirls@vtworksforwomen.org. More information is also available at our website: http://www.vtworksforwomen.org

Gardeners wanted for Library Gardens

The Kellogg-Hubbard Library has beautiful gardens thanks to the Central Vermont Master Gardeners.They are looking for a few people who love to play in the dirt to help make the gardens extra special this year. Actually, they are beautiful every year.

On Saturday (or Sunday, if it rains on Saturday), we'll officially begin the Kellogg-Hubbard gardening season with a Spring Clean-Up and Get Acquainted. If you can work, please bring gloves, tools (trowels, weeders, shears, edgers, buckets (to carry debris to the trash/compost)), water and a hat (it can get hot!). If you don't have time to work, please stop by and say hello and get acquainted with the other volunteers and the garden itself.

We'll loosen up the soil, transplant as needed, apply mulch, do some pruning and generally tidy up. We'll try to have some photos from last year so we can begin to label the plants and also see what we might want to add (or subtract). I'll also have a summer sign-up sheet; as many of you know, we ask one or two people to sign up for one - or more - weeks during the season during which they will take care of the necessary chores: weeding, watering, dead-heading, staking, pest control, etc. That generally works better than trying to schedule work days. Work done or needing to be done is recorded in a notebook by the circulation desk, so the next week's workers know where to start.


The K-H garden continues to be a commitment of the Central Vermont Master Gardeners, but we welcome and appreciate other volunteers from the community. If you know someone else who would be interested, bring, or send, them along. The K-H garden is a wonderful meeting place and gives great pleasure to patrons, staff and the many who just pass by, enjoy the color, play with their children, or even have their wedding photos taken.

Georgia Valentine and Jane Lendway

Photography Exhibit by Jamie Cope

We have been fortunate to convince noted local photographer (and dedicated library volunteer) Jamie Cope, to display her stunning black and white portraits of people in our community. Accompanied by statements from those who were photographed, both the portraits and the statements form a moving portrait of people whom we might see every day in cafes, on the street, or in the library. I took time away from my desk today to give the exhibit the time it deserves, and came away hugely impressed. Have a look in the main reading room and in the Frances Holmes Room on the first floor, next time you're in the library. We are lucky to have so much talent in our community!

Irish Poetry Reading by John F. Deane

We are currently in the middle of a program series called, The Irish. Although, the event listed below is not a Kellogg-Hubbard Library program it certainly may be of interest to those who love all things Irish!

A poetry reading by the award-winning Irish poet John F. Deane
will be held on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 6:30pm at the St Johnsbury Athenaeum,1171 Main Street, St Johnsbury, Vermont 802-748-8291

Deane will be introduced by Vermont poet Galway Kinnell.

The Irish Times says of him: “This is a major European writer of conscience. . . No other contemporary Irish poet, and few Irish writers, have mastered the art of eloquent, impassioned expression as artistic statement so beautifully. . . In common with Yeats and Kinsella, Deane possesses an instinctive feel for beauty.

John F. Deane is editor of The Poetry Ireland Review, and winner of the O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry. He is a member of Aosdána, established by the Arts Council to honor artists whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland. In 2007 the French Govern¬ment honored him by making him “Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres”. Mr. Deane lives in Dublin and this spring he is poet-in-residence at Boston College.
His books include: The Instruments of Art, Manhandling the Diety, In Dogged Loyalty, The Heather Fields and Other Stories, and A Little Book of Hours to be released in 2008.

Celebrating Poetry

We've had a great time reading the poems that people have posted on Hilari's National Poetry Month post on April 7th. We are up the 12 poems. It's nice to see the Vermont Poets receive attention here. The Bridge is celebrating National Poetry Month, too, with a look at what's happening around Montpelier in terms of slams and poetry reading. Nat Frothingham, The Bridge's editor and Scottish poet, Len Irving, are presenting An Evening of Poetry at the library on Shakespeare's birthday, April 23, next Wednesday at 7pm. Nat and Len will take turns at the mic sharing their favorite poems with us. Len, a published poet, will also read a few of his favorites by Robert Burns and William Shakespeare. On Friday, April 25, we're hosting a Mud Slide Poetry Slam with slam master, Geof Hewitt at 7pm. Since the library will be closed, please use the School Street entrance to the Hayes Room.

Send us a favorite poem!

April is National Poetry Month. Perhaps, with recent sightings of crocuses blooming in select locations in town, this is truly the perfect month for poetry. It is, after all, a time of hope.

In the course of a very busy life, I don't make much time for poems anymore. Nowadays, I find myself thinking of poems as a luxury reserved for the young, when one feels pain and joy most acutely. But it shouldn't be like that. So, in honor of National Poetry Month, I'll throw a poem out there and see if anyone else would like to chime in with a favorite of their own.

By way of introduction, I heard this poem on the radio and tracked it down via the Internet. It made a lovely Father's Day gift.

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's autere and lonely offices?

Robert Hayden
(1913-1980)

Exploring the Sacred

A couple of years ago the Montpelier Interfaith group held a series of programs at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library called Under Abraham's Tent. It was an interesting series and was well attended. This group is now offering a five week series of lectures and conversations Exploring Death and Its Spiritual Dimensions on Wednesdays beginning April 2 through April 30th at 7pm. The lectures will be held at the Stone Science Building on the Vermont College Campus located directly behind the Wood Art Gallery. Other sponsoring organizations include Central Vermont Ethics Committee and Vermont College of the Union Institute and University.
Presenters include Dr. Walter Brenneman, Professor William Paden, John Turner, Betty Blouin, Ellen Fein, Virginia Fry, and local clergy. This series is free and open to the public. If you have any questions Regis Cummings is the person to call at 223-6043.

This Week at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library

THE POWER OF NOW, by Eckhart Tolle, a Celebration with Justine and Robert O’Keefe,
This is the last program of a three-part series
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 7:30-9:00pm
“The Pain Body” Recognizing our cumulative pain and how it is triggered by and feeds on our thought patterns.
Books are available on loan at the library or bring your own copy.

CCV Lecture Series
Computer Information Security for the Everyday User
Thursday, March 27th, 7:00pm.
Cyber security breaches resulting in identity theft and stolen credit card information have brought the world of information security home to the everyday person. Recognizing the need for information security has become front page news and is increasingly salient in the public consciousness. This lecture will focus on how computer users, from the casual user to the more sophisticated user, can protect themselves as well as their company from information loss or corruption. The risks from hackers, dumpster diving and password sharing will be examined. Topics covered will also include password protection, the ethical use of computers and home security such as firewall applications. also include password protection, the ethical use of computers and home security.

Pruning Trees
Saturday, March 29, 2008 10am-12noon. With Dave Wilcox, VT Urban & Community Forestry. This hands-on workshop is a perennial favorite. Dress appropriately for the weather. Meet in the East Montpelier room. If you plan to attend the lilac pruning workshop in May, you must have pruning experience. Registration required! Call 223-3338. A Washington/Orange County Master Gardeners Program.

StoryWalk & Language Lunches at the Library

In today's edition of The Times Argus is an article about StoryWalk. Check it out by clicking here!

Last week the library was featured on the front page! Read about Language Lunches here

EVERYONE'S IRISH!

Hey! Spring fever at the Library! Join us on Monday March 17 for a gala o' green and our Everybody's Irish St. Patrick's Day party in the Hayes Room. With great music by Hilari Farrington (our esteemed library director) and Benedict Koehler, step dancing by Meagan Kane, and an ol' yarn by Ben O'Matchstick. Blimey! Tis a jolly lot o' fun for one great green hour at the library. Begins at 7pm. Wear your greenest attire and snacks for sharing. Want to volunteer for the decoration committee? Come speak to Ben at the Children's Library desk.

Planning for summer hikes

When the snow is three feet deep and the sidewalks are icy it’s hard to think about a time when we want to get outside and go for a long walk or even longer hike. But, of course, now is the time to plan and dream about those long summer treks. Two recent additions to the library could help with that planning.

If your goal is to hike Vermont’s Long Trail (or wonder what it would be like) Jan Leitschuh wrote a day-by-day humorous account called, The Ordinary Adventurer, Hiking Vermont’s Long Trail: a Primer for Baby Adventurers, and Other Musings on the Nature of the Journey.

She and her partner started the month long hike quite out of shape but finished the trip through the wilderness stronger, wiser, more thoughtful, and ready to try the Appalachian Trail.

If a month long end-to-end adventure isn’t exactly what you had in mind, maybe having a smaller area to explore is a better plan. If so, you may be interested in the Guide to the Wildlife Management Areas of Vermont, published by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

This spiral-bound book compiles 81 areas in Vermont that are managed by the state from Averill Mountain located on the border with Canada to Roaring Brook in the south-east corner. Each management area is identified in the book with a full page map, several paragraphs on the fish and wildlife that one can see there, and what the habitat features are including tree species, streams, ponds and/or vernal pools. There is also a short history of the area plus a general description of its location and size in acres. These wildlife management areas are open to regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing.

Be sure to include a camera and a notebook in your plan. It’s a great way to remember what Vermont looks like when the snow keeps us closer to home.

Town meeting day success!

All towns passed the full appropriation for the library, raising $390,000 (see the preceding post for town-by-town amounts). Worcester, Calais, and Middlesex voted in favor during town meeting. Australian ballot results in the other towns:

Berlin: 393 - 362 (Does not include write-ins. Town clerk does not expect outcome to change.)

East Montpelier: 724 - 327

Montpelier: 2,323 - 872

Our success is based, in my opinion, on the fact that Kellogg-Hubbard is an exceptional library that has had a real impact on the quality of life for people living in central Vermont.

Thank you!

Town meeting day

I hope you will support the Kellogg-Hubbard Library on Town Meeting Day, March 4, 2008. We are asking voters in six towns for taxpayer support:

The Town of Berlin, which did not support us in 2007, was taken out of the Library's service area, meaning that Berlin patrons must pay for a library card. We petitioned Berlin voters to get on the ballot again this year, and hope for success!

More information on our town meeting day request is available on our web site here and here (the latter link is to a pdf file).

Thank you to all our patrons and friends who have supported Kellogg-Hubbard Library over the years!

Howard Norman and ghosts

Howard Norman called today to let me know what the topic of his presentation will be in May, which is Why I Love Ghosts in Northern Japan. Norman is one of the local authors who is sharing his passions in a library series called, Why I Love What I Love. David Dobbs, the creator of this series, has organized a fascinating group of writers talking about a wide range of topics from entropy to slate to ghosts. Howard was previously booked to appear on Wednesday, May 14 but that has been changed to Wednesday, May 21 at 7pm. The next presentation in the series is Wednesday, March 12 at 7pm, Why I Love My Niddy-Noddy: Weaving, Hobbies, and the "Flow State" by Mary Hays. On April 9th Tom Slayton will talk about why he loves Thoreau. Join us in the Hayes Room at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library!

Spend school vacation at the Library

There's more than great books to check out at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library this spring break!

Crafternoons - Origami Olympics
Saturday, February 23 at 1pm
The Cardboard Teck Instantute will host the first ever Origami Olympics. Fold a frog and try it out on the long jump and the high jump. Learn how to build bangers, shooters, biters, and trickster origami toys.

Cooking and Booking - Localvore Mac & Cheese
Monday, February 25 at 3:30pm
Think mac and cheese comes from a cardboard box? Cook up the real thing with local students from New England Culinary Institute, with a side order from the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Dark Knight Comics Club
Tuesday, February 26 3:00-4:30pm
Have you heard about the DK Comics Club? It's a weekly jam session of drawing and writing stories for comics. Join up and attack your comics with a club!

Leap Year Day Checkers Tournament
Friday, February 29 at 1pm
It only comes once every four years, so we're celebrating with an in-house checkers tournament. Are you the next champ of checkers? Participate and get a frog. Win and get a frog trophy!

Games, Games, Games!
Every Friday starting February 22 from 3:00-4:30pm
We have new games at the library including Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Backgammon and more. Ben T. Matchstick will be showing and playing in his own favorite games - some fun board games that you've never heard of!
Get your game on at the library!

Library closed on Monday

The Kellogg-Hubbard Library will be closed on Monday, February 18th for the President's Day holiday. We are open tomorrow, Saturday, from 10am to 5:30pm. Stock up tomorrow for the long weekend.

New program series on investing

On Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30pm will be the kick-off of a new 16 week program series called Investing for a Sustainable Future. This reading and discussion series will explore several issues like: What is socially responsible investing? What does it mean for companies to be responsible? Can traditional economics and modern capitalism shift their emphasis from infinite growth to sustainable human well-being? The first few weeks will use the book, Socially Responsible Investing by Amy Domini. We have four copies of this book at the library. Three other books will also be used. You can pick up the reading list at the library. No pre-registration required. Guest Speaker on February 19th is Gary Flomenhoft, Research Associate for UVM Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.
This program is made possible in part with support
from the National Life Group.

MDCA's new interactive map

Suzanne Hechmer, the Director of the Montpelier Downtown Community Association has a new interactive map of Montpelier businesses and attractions on MDCA website. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library is considered an attraction! Hover over the picture of the library on the map, and our webpage appears. Thank you Suzanne for this great map!

Why I Love Slate Postponed until Feb 21 at 7pm

Once again the snow has caused our Wednesday program to be postponed. Last week The Culture of Food in Rural China was cancelled due to snow and has been re-scheduled to Wednesday, April 30th at 7pm. Tonight's program Why I Love Slate by Jody Gladding has been re-scheduled to Thursday, February 21 at 7pm. To read more about the Why I Love What I Love Series organized by David Dobbs please click here.

Community meetings on town meeting day funding

You are invited: Please come to a community meeting to discuss the Kellogg-Hubbard Library's Town Meeting Day request to voters.

When: Wednesday February 13, 5:30-6:30 PM
Where: Worcester Town Hall

When: Wednesday February 20, 5:30-6:30 PM
Where: Middlesex Town Hall

When: Wednesday February 26, 11:00-noon and 5:30-6:30 PM
Where: Kellogg-Hubbard Library

Library staff and Board members will attend these meeting to discuss Library funding and to respond to your questions. If you are unable to attend but would like to discuss library funding, call me at 223-3338 or e-mail me at mhahn[at]kellogghubbard.org.

Martin

Sixteen Week Discussion on Sustainable Investing

Every Tuesday for 16 weeks the Kellogg-Hubbard Library will have a reading and discussion program called, Investing for a Sustainable Future. This program will meet in the Hayes Room at 6:30pm beginning February 19, 2008. You might wonder what socially responsible investing is or what it means for companies to be responsible. Can traditional economics and modern capitalism shift their emphasis from infinite growth to sustainable human well-being? These issues will be discussed in this series. There are four books that will be used and are available at the library:

Socially Responsible Investing by Amy Domini
The High Purpose Company by Christine Arena
Capitalism at the Crossroads by Stuart L. Hart
Mid-Course Correction by Ray C. Anderson

We will also have guest speakers and films to enhance this discussion course. No registration is required, but reading the material ahead of time is suggested. People can attend any number of the discussions. On Tuesday, February 19 Gary Flomenhoft will speak. He is a Research Associate for UVM Gund Institute for Ecological Economics. On February 26 the guest lecturer is Rick Hausman. He has been director of research at Clean Yield Asset Management in Greensboro since 1990. This program in made possible in part with support from the National Life Group.
To learn more about this series and our moderator, Elisa Leibowitz, please click here.

David Dobbs - providing a gift of vermont authors

Last Fall David Dobbs, local author, library supporter, family guy, blogger, and generally fun person, came to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library with a great idea: how about a monthly program series by local authors talking about their passions. We thought this was a great idea and invited David to organize this series for the Library. He's done it and it's great. So far we've had David speak about his love of neuroscience, Eric Zency talk about the second law of thermodynamics, David Goodman talk about Dick Cheney and this week we will hear from Jody Gladding as she talks about her love of slate. Jody is also a trustee of KHL. The series is called, Why I Love What I Love. Each month there is a page-long interview in The Bridge with that month's author and each program is videotaped by ORCA Media. The programs are viewed on the public access channel and a DVD copy of the presentation is available at the library. The programs are always on the second Wednesday of each month - no programs in July or August. David is already gearing up for next year's selection. If you see David around town - please thank him for his gift to us.

Join us this Wednesday, February 13 at 7pm in the Hayes Room for Why I Love Slate by Jody Gladding.

Lea Wood, poet and so much more!

On Saturday, February 9th, Lea Wood held her premiere poetry reading at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Although Lea has been writing poetry for years, make that decades, she enjoyed her first poetry reading yesterday in celebration of her first published book of poems, Wind & Water, Fire & Stone. Lea's poems appear in five categories: Wheel of Life, Kinship, In Love, Earth First, and Living my Life. Lea Wood has such a presence when reading her poems. I could have listened to her read all afternoon.
Here is one of her poems chosen for its timeliness:

LIVING THROUGH WINTER

On winter mornings I'm drawn
to the red line encased on the bird feeder.
The air's relation to zero will determine my day.
at twenty-two below I want to crawl into a book;
snuggle under my favorite sheep fleece
and reach for hot tea, lose myself in a fictional world
and stay there 'till spring!
Tasks call with faint voices
until guilt pushes me out.

At twenty-two above I emerge from dormancy
the iron clamp of cold loosened.
The glitter of sun on snow, the white-draped pines
blossoms of snow on bushes begin to delight me.
Each year I vow against the immobilization
of winter's long, dark hours,
and each year I'm caught in that black net.

Well, bears hibernate, trees rest, the very earth sleeps.
Perhaps living through winter with living words
is the way!
Underhill, VT 2003

Lea is donating the sales of her books to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. They are available at the library. Thank you Lea for being a wonderful supporter of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library!

Food in Rural China Program postponed

Last night's program, The Culture of Food in Rural China with Middlebury Professor Ellen Oxfeld has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, April 30th at 7pm. We hope you can make it then!
For more information on this program you can read the January 28th post on this blog.

Annual report

Annually, the library director submits a report to the board of trustees on the prior year's activities. Hilari Farrington's excellent report on 2007 can be found here. (Link will open a Microsoft Word file. Go to our web site to find other versions.)

Lunch in a Foreign Language adds Russian and Chinese

Lunch in a Foreign Language at the Library

We've added two new languages on Monday to this very popular daily program! On Mondays, we will open the Hayes Room to those wanting to practice Chinese and Russian. If you'd like brush up on your foreign language skills in these or other languages, come to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library with a bag lunch and a dictionary. We open the Hayes Room to a different language group each day, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Tell your friends!
Mondays : New! Russian and Chinese
Tuesdays: Italian
Wednesdays: Spanish
Thursdays: French
Fridays: German

Food in Rural China

FIRST WEDNESDAYS PROGRAMS
FEBRUARY 6, 2008 at 7pm ~ The Culture of Food in Rural China. Drawing on her own fieldwork, Middlebury College Professor Ellen Oxfeld explores the social and cultural importance of local foodways in rural China. Despite the fact that globalization has brought "fast food" and other western food habits to urban China, local foodways still flourish in rural China. Food in rural China is used not only for nourishment, but also to create and sustain social relations, and as a token laden with symbolic meanings.
A Single Pebble of Burlington is a sponsor of this program. Chef Steve Bogart will be in the library, too!
Dr. Oxfeld is a Professor of Anthropology at Middlebury College. She is a graduate of Williams College and holds a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Dr. Oxfeld recently returned from a sabbatical year in rural China.
First Wednesdays is a program of the Vermont Humanities Council hosted by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Philip Baruth

Author Philip Baruth attended legislative day for Vermont's public libraries. His remarks can be found on his blog, or you can listen to them at VPR. An excerpt:

When I was a kid, there was always one job that had to be done before you could string the lights on the Christmas tree: you had to check every single bulb individually because if one was bad, the circuit wouldn't close, and the whole string would remain dark. It was a hassle but it prevented an even worse hassle — getting the lights all wound into the evergreen branches, plugging it in, and then having no idea which one of a hundred bulbs needed to be pulled.

I applaud the Legislature's attempts to wire up the state of Vermont, and it's going to be a beautiful thing when the job is done. For God's sake, though, don't skimp on the State's libraries as you do so, because they are already set-up institutionally to fill the digital gap; they're in place, they've rethought their mission, and they're performing the job admirably as we speak. But unless we support them financially in that role, this vast string of fiber-optic Christmas lights we're working on isn't going anywhere, not really, not in any ethical or moral sense. In that sense, the system will remain dark until everyone has access to the light.

And we're not here today to kid ourselves. Bringing the light to those without it costs money: 1.6 million dollars, and an absolutely spectacular bargain at that price.

State aid news article

The Times Argus ran a front-page article on state aid for libraries on Saturday January 12.

Legislative Day for Vermont’s Public Libraries

Friday January 18, 2008, 8:30 am – 11:30 am

Statehouse in Montpelier

Come to the Statehouse on January 18th for an important kick-off to our state funding initiative! We will meet in the Card Room, on the second floor. (The Card "Room" is really the hallway before you enter the cafeteria.)

Arrange to meet with your lawmakers and ask them to support state funding for public libraries and the statute that enhances library patron confidentiality. The best way to do this is to contact your lawmakers in advance and set up a time to meet them in the cafeteria. The VLA government relations committee has prepared a three-page case statement for state aid. Copies will be available on January 18; e-mail Martin Hahn (see below) if you would like a copy in advance. Follow this link to obtain contact information for your senators and representatives: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm.

Bring as many people as possible – patrons, trustees, friends, and supporters.

Schedule

8:30 – 10:30 Meet with your legislators.

8:30 – 11:30 Come to the card room and distribute flyers and stickers. Meet and greet legislators.

10:30-11:00 Brief remarks, card room.

Wear Red!

Parking – Take exit 8 from I89; take second left to Green Mountain Drive. A shuttle runs frequently to the statehouse from behind the Department of Labor building. Follow this link for map: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/sthouse/locate4.htm.

See you on January 18^th!

For more information, contact either of the co-chairs of VLA's government relations committee:

Martin Hahn, mhahn[at]kellogghubbard.org

Lisa von Kann, lvkann[at]stjathenaeum.org