Library Blog
October 9th 2013
This week marks the conclusion of one of our various Heritage Months that are celebrated throughout the year: Hispanic Heritage Month. The U.S. government has recognized National Hispanic Heritage Month as the days between September 15 and October 15. This celebration started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, but it wasn’t until 1988 that was expanded to span 30 days. This designated period commemorates the anniversary of independence from Spain of various Latin American countries, such as... Read Post
August 12th 2013
It's official: Whitey Bulger has been found guilty - of a whole lot of stuff - and will presumably be spending the rest of his life behind bars. Many of us would like to forget all about the notorious thug but, human nature being what it is, a fair number of us want to know all there is to know about Whitey and his doings. To that end, here's a list of relevant books available through the Minuteman Library Network.
Whitey: the Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss by Dick Lehr... Read Post July 15th 2013
This month we're happy to have Somerville High School juniors and seniors at the library doing research on the history of Assembly Square. They're employees of a collaboration between Federal Realty, Artists for Humanity, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Somerville.
"Based on what we find out, we're going to make suggestions for a sculpture, " said SHS senior Larry Barnes. The sculpture will in some way embody the history of Assembly Square and will placed in... Read Post
June 25th 2013
The mercury's breaking 90 today and it's going to be almost as warm through the weekend. Here are some tips to make the next few days a little more comfortable. Cooking can make an already hot kitchen unbearable, so check out this link to Mark Bittman's 101 recipes ready in fewer than ten minutes. Longtime readers of this blog probably recall that I've posted this link before, but there's always something on it I haven't tried, and I'm assuming the same is true of you. You should also browse... Read Post
June 12th 2013
If you come to the Central Library next week, expect to see a good bit of moving and shifting of shelves. The plan is to expand the spaces between shelves to 36 inches to better accommodate patrons in wheelchairs. In the meantime, if you have any difficulty finding books or other materials, please ask a librarian.
Please bear with us during this temporary disruption that will make the library more accessible to all the members of our community.
June 11th 2013
The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro is our book for this year's Somerville Reads. Inspired by the 1990 Gardner Museum heist, the Art Forger is the story of Claire Roth, a struggling young artist who makes a meager living painting reproductions. Her luck seemingly changes when an art dealer offers a very large fee and a one-woman show at a hip gallery in return for copying a painting that bears an unsettling resemblance to one of the missing Gardner works. Is it authentic? And why is someone... Read Post
May 26th 2013
Today is the day the nation remembers those who have died serving in the armed forces. Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday began to honor those men who had died for the Union in the Civil War. Time has a brief history of the holiday here.
If you're interested in learning more about the grim realities of military service, I recommend War by Sebastian Junger. The award-winning author of A Perfect Storm and A Death in Belmont accompanied a platoon during a fifteenth-month tour of... Read Post
May 20th 2013
During lunch I was reading a book industry newsletter and came across this marvelous quote from Sarah McNally, a NYC bookshop owner:
"Never forget the wonks, and the weirdos, and the people who will be delighted by this book that they never could even have imagined could exist and they will find on your shelf."
I love that. And it sums up my philosophy of library collections. Not every book on a shelf has to be popular. An individual book doesn't take up that much space. So what if it doesn't... Read Post
April 16th 2013
We're all stunned and saddened by yesterday's bombings at the Boston Marathon. The attacks were cruel and senseless. The only bright moment yesterday was when people ran towards the blasts to apply tourniquets or help people on to their feet.
It's nice when it's possible to be proud of human beings.
Actually helping others is one of the best things someone can do in a situation like this, not just for the inherent decency of doing so, but also because it reminds us we're not helpless.
The... Read Post
March 15th 2013
Our thanks to the mayor for recognizing the essential and ever-changing role libraries play in the life of this city:
http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/36202
March 6th 2013
Courtesy of storycorps.org
It should come as no surprise to this city’s residents, but members of this diverse and vital community have a story to tell. And your library is going to help them tell it – thanks to a grant from the American Library Associaton and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which will enable us to launch our own version of the “StoryCorps @ your library” program.
StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and... Read Post
March 4th 2013
We knew you could do it, Somerville! Our fair city has won the library card sign-up competition that ran all last month against Lexington, Belmont and Arlington. Arlington challenged us to see who could get a higher percentage of card sign-ups in February 2013 compared to February 2012. Community pride was at stake – and we must say, you did your library and your community proud. Because of this campaign, Somerville now has 1,054 new library card owners. Arlington, Belmont and Somerville... Read Post
March 4th 2013
The Somerville Public Library is introducing a new collection, Muslim Journeys, which is currently available for browsing and checkout at the Central Branch of the library. This bookshelf collection aims to familiarize residents and visitors with the places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. It is intended to address both the need and desire of the American public for trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural... Read Post
December 7th 2012
In a recent Somerville News column reflecting on the career of former Mayor Eugene Brune, Mayor Curtatone quoted a Boston Sunday Globe insert (below) from October 17, 1965 entitled, "The New Somerville--Colonial Birth, Space Age Rebirth," extolling a "new Somerville" with state-of-the-art infrastructure and institutions emerging from one of the birthplaces of America.
But as the mayor pointed out, the insert mentions developments and transit plans that didn't get very far. And the Somerville... Read Post
December 4th 2012
Last Saturday there was a community discussion with the founders of Cuppow. The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Sara Fix is a patron and volunteered this write up of the event...many thanks Sara!
If you care about the environment, if you support local businesses, or if you’ve ever spilled coffee on your shirt, you could learn a lot from Joshua Resnikoff and Aaron Panone, creators of Cuppow. These two friends created a plastic device that can turn a canning jar in to a... Read Post