2008
December 17th 2008
Starting in January of 2009, the Somerville Central Library will be offering daily passes to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. We will have one pass available per day, which will admit 2 people for $5.00 per person.
The ICA aims to present the most significant national and international contemporary art to Boston audiences and includes many special exhibits throughout the year, appropriate for adults and families. The ICA also offers a performance theater, The Barbara Lee... Read Post
December 12th 2008
War as seen through the eyes of graphic novel writers and artists
No Pasaran, in 3 volumes, by Vittorio Giardino. The protagonist, Max Friedman, a fighter from the International Brigades, goes looking for a friend who had disappeared in the fighting. The Spanish Nationalists and Republicans, the League of Nations, France, England, Germany, and the people of Barcelona are all actors in this drama.
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda, by Jean-Philippe Stassen. The story begins in 1994 when about... Read Post
December 8th 2008
Check out some of the new titles have been added to our reference collection:
Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionay of Science Fiction
Notable American Novelists
Everyday Finance: Economics, Personal Money Management. and Entrepreneurship
The Official Guide to Ancestry.com
And new in our Local History Collection:
History of the Siege of Boston and of the Battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill
General Sir William Howe's Orderly book: a Charlestown, Boston and Halifax, June 17,... Read Post
November 29th 2008
In October the 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio. SPL has just acquired two of his books (in French)-- Étoile errante (a novel about the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel told from both Jewish and Palestinian viewpoints) and Révolutions (a novel that ties together different episodes in French history, including the Revolution of 1789 and the Algerian War). A third novel, Désert (about a young woman from the Sahara who becames a... Read Post
November 20th 2008
Happy World Philosophy Day! The good people at the BBC have taken note of the occasion by posing four mind-bending questions to consider, and we at SPL would like to point out that we have quite a few books on philosophers and philosophy that are very good reads. If you want a light approach to the subject, I recommend Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes, by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein (you can hear the NPR interview with the authors here). A more... Read Post
November 19th 2008
The final quarter in the U.S. Mint’s 10-year 50 State Quarters program will be released soon, if it hasn’t been already. Aloha, Hawaii!
To commemorate this milestone, the website Walletpop is asking people to vote for their favorite quarters. So far, the results (the numbers indicate the percentage of voters who like the design) look like this: 1. 94% Alaska and Maine (tie) 3. 91% Kentucky 4. 88% North Dakota and Oregon (tie) 6. 87% Arizona and Virginia (tie) 8. 86% Nevada, South... Read Post November 13th 2008
In memory of Michael Crichton here is a list of some of his books owned by the Somerville Public Library.
Airframe
Andromeda Strain
Congo
Disclosure
Jurassic Park
The Lost World
Next
O Enigma de Andromeda
Parque Jurasico
Prey
Presa
Rising Sun
Sphere
State of Fear
The Terminal Man
Timeline
November 7th 2008
It's not too soon to start panicking, I mean thinking about Thanksgiving. If you're planning to do some holiday cooking and need inspiration, you might want to try one of these: Jacques Pepin's Thanksgiving Celebration DVD 641.568 JACQUES A Thanksgiving Holiday Cookbook by Emily Raabe J641.568 RA Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert by Rick Rodgers 641.568 RO Thanksgiving: Festive Recipes for the Holiday Table by Kristine Kidd 641.568 KI... Read Post
November 4th 2008
Artist Arline Young is returning to the Central Library to teach introductory level origami classes. The classes will be held every Monday during the month of November at 7 pm. There is a $5 fee each week to cover material costs, which will be supplied by Arline. Sign up today at the Audio Visual desk or by calling the library at 617-623-5000.
October 30th 2008
Last night, Dora St. Martin and Dee Morris gave a combined lecture and multimediapresentation based on their book Somerville, Massachusetts: A Brief History. A packed house listened to Civil War music, learned about Somerville's role in the origins of the telephone, women's liberation (such as it was) in late nineteenth-century America and the changing landscape of the city over three centuries. If you're interested in learning more about Somerville history, we have several copies of their... Read Post
October 30th 2008
Somerville Voting information can be found on the City's website here. If you are not sure where to vote you can enter your address here to find out this information.
Remember to Vote on Tuesday November 4th.
October 23rd 2008
The days are getting shorter and the weather's getting colder, but you can still find ways to enjoy your days off. The Boston area has a lot of fascinating places to visit and the Somerville Public Library can help defray the cost. We offer passes to Somerville residents that waive or reduce admission to places such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium,* the Peabody Essex Museum, and Zoo New England. A complete list is here. You can reserve passes in person, or by calling the... Read Post
October 20th 2008
We are delighted to have local artist Karen Aqua's animated drawings on display at the Somerville Central Library. Karen Aqua has been making hand-drawn animated films for over 30 years, including work for "Sesame Street" and 10 independent films. She uses about 12 drawings to create one second of animation in media including colored pencils, markers, and cut paper. On display at the library are a few of the original drawings (not prints) used in the making of several of her films. Karen... Read Post
October 15th 2008
the National Month for so many things, from the serious (Breast Cancer Awareness, Gay & Lesbian History) to the silly (Popcorn Poppin', Squirrel Awareness.) Let's choose a few topics and see what the Library has to offer: 1. National Children's Magazine Month. The Library has lots: Dig, Cobblestone, Ranger Rick, Sports Illustrated for Kids, American Girl, Cricket, Highlights for Children, National Geographic Kids, and many more! 2. National Emotional Intelligence Month. Again, we've got... Read Post
October 10th 2008
...then you've probably got some complaints about the Vista operating system. New York Times writer Stephen Williams feels your pain--and he knows ways you can get some relief. Check out his October 8 article for tips on how make Vista run faster and more smoothly.
If you're really ambitious you might want to walk away from Windows altogether. We've got a few books on Ubuntu--the free operating system from the people behind Linux. Do some reading: you might find open-source software is for... Read Post