What DO librarians read?

Occasionally on the front page of the Sno-Isle website you might see a banner titled "What We're Reading". You might wonder, "Who are the 'We' in the title?" In this case it is the Reader's Advisory Committee, who is in charge of this banner, picking titles for the book club kits, and a yearly Reader's Advisory training.

One of the common misconceptions of library employees is that they get to spend all day reading. This is very rarely the case. As a rule we do tend to read a LOT of books, but on our own time. The Reader's Advisory Committee is one of the ways we share that collected knowledge with others and with our patrons.

I have been privileged to be on the committee for two years now and it is easily one of my favorite library activities (and I get to play Rock Band with teenagers on a regular basis). Each one of the committee members contributes a week or two of titles to What We're Reading every couple of months and we put a lot of thought into the titles we pick. They can be new titles that we're really excited about or older titles that may have slipped under the radar. In all cases they are books we feel strongly about and hope you will give a chance. Check one out today.

Everyone should wear slippers at the library

On January 5th, we began a new series of storytimes called Pajama Storytime. We had an enthusiastic group of pajama wearing, blanket and stuffed animal toting children who came to listen to stories, sing songs, and make crafts. As the storytime presenter, I got to wear a bathrobe and slippers. I wish I could wear slippers at the library every day!

We will be continuing the series once a month over the course of the year. The next one will be on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:00pm. I hope to see you at Pajama Storytime. Don’t forget to bring your slippers!

"Twilight" Star comes to Monroe?

Hey Twilight fans is that... no I guess it is just a cardboard cutout of our favorite Vampire checking out the new DVD bins at the Monroe Library. Find great movies at your library or go to the Sno-Isle website and place holds on you favorite titles. Some favorite Vampire movies that you can find in the Sno-Isle catalog include:

Twilight
Fright Night
Underworld

I'm already thinking about my veggie garden for 2010

Well, it's January and I'm already thinking about what I will plant this spring in my vegetable garden. Last year's garden was such a success that I want to get a head start on planning for this year. The seed catalogs started arriving after Thanksgiving, and now I actually have time to read them and find some good gardening ideas from the books at the library.

Here are a few gardening books I am currently reading:

"Green Gardener's Guide" by Joe Lamp'l





"The Frugal Gardener: How To Have More Garden For Less Money" by Catriona Tudor Erler

Find more books about gardening at the Library!

u CAN Rd Ths!

Congratulations. If you are reading this, then:

1. You are literate.

Okay, it's quiz time.

Which country has the highest literacy rate?

Cuba, with 99.8%.

What place on the list does the United States occupy?

Tied for 19th, with 99.0%.

Statistics per United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2009.

2. You probably live near America's Most Literate City: Seattle!

That's right. Seattle has just been named #1 on the 2009 list of America's Most Literate Cities, by Dr John W. Miller, President of Central Connecticut State University. The annual study, which originated in 2003, "focuses on 6 key indicators of literacy: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and internet resources," according to the AMLC webpage at http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=5390

So rejoice. High literacy rates correlate with lower crime rates, better health, and higher productivity. And early literacy programs, according to the Economic Policy Institute, "contribute to long-term economic benefits for the community and the nation".

We have much to be thankful for.
We are among the lucky ones.
We can read.

Vampire Tales That Satisfy Your Hunger

So you’ve seen New Moon, read all of the Twilight Saga, and now need something new to sink your teeth into? Or are you always looking for a book with bite? The library has a great selection of vampire books, both for the reader just getting into the world of paranormal novels, and for the reader who has been addicted to vampires since the first Anne Rice novel. Below are just a few of the selections you can discover at your local library!

• Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen – You know a blind date is bad when you are first turned into a vampire, and then your date gets staked by hunters!
  



• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris – Read the series that spawned hit show True Blood!
  



• I’m the Vampire, That’s Why by Michele Bardsley - Broken Hearts was a town going south, until a rouge vampire turns all the single parents, and a large group of vampires decide to make it their new home.
  



• Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson - You know you are having a bad week when you are mugged, laid off, and killed by a car – only to come back again as a vampire!
  



• Zen and the Art of Vampires by Katie Macalister – While on a singles cruise, a women gets stuck between the desires of two Dark Ones, and the destructive intent of the group out to destroy all Dark Ones.
  



• Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater Rhodes – A young writer attracts the attention of several vampires, turns out her books are based far more on fact then fiction.
  



• Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan – A young boy agrees to become the assistant of a vampire, and travel around the world with him.
  



• Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schrieber – A new family moves into the creepy mansion up on the hill in Dullsville, sparking rumors of vampires, and the interest of a local goth girl.
  



• Vampire Knight by Hino – Cross Academy has two classes, what the day class doesn’t know is that the Moon class is made up entirely of vampires.
  



• Vampire High by Douglas Rees – As his fellow classmates show an aversion to sunlight, and superhuman strength, a boy begins to realize that things just might not be what they seem at his new school.

Happily Obsessed

I admit it--I'm hooked ,addicted, obsessed. It's harmless--- it's TV series on DVD!
I'm not much of a TV watcher. I'd rather be reading.

That said, it began with the TV series "Slings and Arrows", the hilarious send-up of a Canadian professional regional Shakespearean company of actors. I watched as many episodes as I could each and every evening. When I'd watched them all, I felt like life was not worth living.

I just finished " Mad Men Season One" and it's the same thing all over again. I have Season Two on hold so I have something to live for.

I don't subscribe to cable TV but I can get these series at the library!