Got spirit?

Unless you're a hermit living off the grid in a cave without a calendar, I'm sure you're aware we're in the middle of the holiday season.  Yup, it's that most wonderful time of the year when you see lights and ho-ho-ho everywhere you go.

If you're in the holiday spirit and want to get some more, or if you're in a bah humbug mood and need help getting out of it, here are some books, DVDs, and CDs that are sure to warm your heart:

Christmas

• The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
• Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 
• Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas by Melanie Watt
• The Christmas Song (CD) Nat King Cole
• Noel (CD) Josh Groban
• 12 Songs of Christmas (CD) Etta James
• A Charlie Brown Christmas (DVD)
• It's a Wonderful Life (DVD)
• Love, Actually (DVD)

Hanukkah

• The Story of Hanukkah by David A. Adler
• One Candle by Eve Bunting 
• Candlelight for Rebecca by Jacqueline Dembar Greene
• Zigazak!  A Magical Hanukkah Night by Eric A. Kimmel
• Elijah's Angel by Michael J. Rosen
• Hanukkah! by Roni Schotter
• Let's Make Latkes by Sally Springer
• Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben

Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa Karamu by April A. Brady
• K is for Kwanzaa by Juwanda G. Ford
• It's Kwanzaa Time by Linda Goss
• My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz
• Kwanzaa by Cedric McClester

The library has more materials than the ones listed above, so come on over and check them out!  And a Happy Chrismahanukkwanzakah to all!

With warm holiday wishes from the perch.

Celebration Time!

Guess what?  November is birthday month for your very own perch librarian!  Yay!  Happy Birthday to yours truly!  I'm a planner to the point of being almost annoyingly organized (my husband continues to be surprised that I usually have our next 3 weekends planned), and my birthday is no exception.  I've been waiting to go to one of my favorite comfy-cozy restaurants, and then I discovered that the restaurant will be closed for the entire month of November while it moves to a different location...ackkkkk!!!!

I needed to re-plan my birthday plans, and that got me thinking--a lot of people besides me probably wonder what to do on their special day.  So I got on the Internet to explore what people do on their birthdays.  The ideas are interesting--thanking your parents, taking the day off from work, and having the usual party, among others.  Maybe you'll get some ideas for your own birthday or the birthday of someone near and dear in your life.

Check out some of the following websites (the names say it all):

• 9 Things to Do On Your Birthday Besides Getting Wasted
• 10 Must Things to Do On Your Birthday for Happiness
• 18 Free Things You Can Get On Your Birthday
• 45 Best Ways to Celebrate Your Birthday Alone and With Friends
• 100 Places That Will Give You Free Stuff On Your Birthday
• Celebrating Your Birthday Alone? 15 Things to Do
• Top 10 Awesome Fun Things to Do On Your Birthday

The possibilities of what you can do on your birthday are endless, but the best is doing whatever makes you happy.  For myself, that means spending the morning at the spa soaking my cares away in the hot tub followed by dinner in the evening with my husband at my favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

Whenever your birthday may be, wishing you a wonderful day of bliss from the perch.

Put Your Spooky On!

Here we go again.  It's that time when we feel festive, put up decorations, and don we now our gay apparel.  Yay for the most wonderful time of the year--Halloween!  (What did you think I was talking about?)

Both kids AND adults are excited about stringing the faux spider webs and choosing costumes.  What is it about dressing up in a kooky costume and acting weird that does it for so many people?  It's the candy!  I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, trick-or-treating was a chance to sample different kinds of candy to find out which ones were the good ones to buy.  My father, of course, was only too happy to assist me in this all important task.

Well, maybe Halloween isn't just about the candy.  Maybe it's about all those creepy books and movies that give you goosebumps (not necessarily the kind by R. L. Stine).  Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is my all time favorite Halloween story.  With a Headless Horseman and a great chase in an eerie town, it keeps your eyes glued to the page and your heart racing.  Then there's The Others, the movie with Nicole Kidman, that keeps you sitting at the edge of your seat with each twist and turn of the plot.  What you think is real isn't, and what you think isn't real...is!  Whoa!

Or is Halloween mainly about the parties, like the one the library's having next week on Thursday, October 29 at 6 p.m.?  Maybe it's a Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for the smaller kids, but that doesn't mean the bigger kids and the kidults can't have fun as well.  There are crafts and candy and storytime and candy and games and candy.  Did I mention there's candy?  We'll also have fruit and juice because we gotta have some healthy things, too, you know.

Perhaps all the bubble, bubble, toil and trouble of Halloween boils down to simple, old fashioned fun.  No matter our age, we just want to have a good time.  So put on your costume, get your treats, and forego the tricks.  Read some good books, watch some good movies, and have fun at the Halloween party.  Put your spooky on!

Wishing you a ghoulish Halloween from the perch.

Goonight, Twilight

I'll start by saying that I'm a perch librarian who actually likes Stephenie Meyer's Twilight and the succeeding books in the series (it was difficult keeping my suspension of disbelief while reading Breaking Dawn with its excessive supernatural elements, but that's another story).  Sure, the writing style is mediocre.  True, you could argue (as many already have) that the relationship between the book's two lovers is unhealthy in its obsessiveness.  Putting those elements aside, though, what attracts so many to Twilight is its focus on the purity of first love and the journey through it.

I realize that nowadays when a book or a movie is so successful and so well loved, it's quite natural for publishers and studios to develop a sequel.  Sometimes this can be a good idea, but more often than not, the author or director is just trying to milk more out of a dry cow.  That's what Meyer, unfortunately, seems to be doing with her latest venture.

To do something special for the 10th anniversary of the publication of her book, Meyer has "reimagined" Twilight by telling the story of a teenaged boy who falls in love with a vampire girl in a book entitled Life and Death.  It's a gender-bender, but the story is really the same as the original Twilight, even down to the same sentences at times.  You have to wonder whether Meyer just used the "Find" and "Replace" features on her word processor to do a quick "rewrite."

After reading the first chapter of Life and Death, I have no desire to read more.  It's too weird to have Beau, the male "Bella," think about how he would have to share one bathroom in the Forks house with Charlie (Charlie and Renee are about the only characters to stay the same) and how Renee resisted him trying to organize her things in the Phoenix house bathroom.  Come on now--would a teenaged boy seriously think about organizing his mother's toiletries or caring that he shared a bathroom?  Not likely, if you ask me.

I suppose the die hard Twilight fans will flock to Life and Death like flies to excrement, and I'm sure Meyer will make millions off this book as she did from her others.  In my opinion, I think she would have done a better job completing Midnight Sun, the Twilight story retold from Edward's perspective (Meyer stopped work on that novel after half of it was leaked on the Internet).  In that unfinished book, she not only gave readers a better understanding of Edward, but also enriched the story in a tasteful, interesting way.  Life and Death, sadly, comes across as poorly thought out fan fiction, confirming my belief that sequels aren't always a good idea.  A dry cow should be left alone.

My very humble 2 cents from the perch.

Nomophobia--It's Real

Cell phones.  They seem to be almost unavoidable these days.  A number of people, including your own perch librarian here, have a cell phone in place of a house phone, a.k.a. "the landline."  I will even dare to assert that many belonging to older generations, like my parents, and people living in areas where no service is available are probably among the only people who don't use cell phones nowadays.

And of course, phones aren't just for talking anymore.  You can check the Internet, the weather, your e-mail, your home alarm system...heck, you can do just about anything on your cell phone to make your life easier and more convenient.  This convenience, however, can make us overdependent on the dang techno-gizmo which, in turn, can cause us to have nomophobia.

If you're not familiar with the term, nomophobia is a fear of not having cell phone contact (no mobile phobia--get it?).  People who can't seem to put their cell phones down for 5 minutes or who get the shakes if they're away from their phones for too long may have a case of nomophobia.  Sometimes I wonder if my husband has this because our dinners out have often become a threesome of me, him, and his cell phone (looking back, I'm amazed I never caught a glimpse of his cell phone on our first date).

As I may have mentioned on other occasions, I'm all for technology.  It can often be useful, but it has its time and its place.  Communicating with other people in face-to-face encounters is not the time or place to use your cell phone, as one librarian has attested.  One of the things I love most about being a perch librarian is the opportunity I have to talk with people in person without an electronic mediator.  It's courteous, but it's also human.

So when you come by the perch and approach me (or any other librarian or person for that matter), please do something that may be out of the ordinary.  Put away your phone, look me in the eye, and talk to me.  It may be scary at first, but you can do it.  I promise I won't bite.  And you can pull out your phone as soon as you're done talking with me.

Old-fashionedly yours from the perch.

Introducing...The Library Dragons!

They're protectors of the knight.  They're summer celebrities with the kids.  They're...The Library Dragons!  WooHOO!  There are three dragons in all: Duncan, Donut, and Munchkin.  They all love books and learning, but they have distinct personalities.

Duncan, the green dragon, is the biggest one, and he thinks he's in charge because of his size.  That doesn't make him mean, though.  He's actually quite protective of Donut and Munchkin, who are both small.  He's really excited that a book, Duncan the Story Dragon, has been written recently about him and that you can get this book at the library.

Donut, the red dragon, is Duncan's trusty sidekick.  Despite being smaller, he thinks he can do anything Duncan can (and he usually succeeds).  When Duncan needs a break from his duties at the library, Donut is more than happy to step in.  He's excited that Duncan got a book published, but he's hoping to get his own book sometime soon.

Munchkin, the blue dragon, is rather shy, so you don't see him as much as you see Duncan and Donut.  He likes hanging out in the back of the library where it's more quiet, but sometimes he comes out to see what's happening in the front.  Although he prefers being left out of the spotlight, Munchkin is willing to help Duncan and Donut whenever he's needed.

For most of the year you can see Duncan and Donut protecting our knight behind the perch.  During the summer, however, Duncan and Donut like taking turns hiding around the library in different spots each week and seeing if the kids can find them.  Munchkin spends most of his time in the back reading, but next summer he'll probably take a turn at playing hide and seek with the kids.

Next time you're in the library, don't forget The Library Dragons.  Be sure to give a nod to Duncan and Donut and pass on a hello to Munchkin.  And don't forget to read Duncan the Story Dragon.

Ever bookishly yours from the perch.

Correction: Dona has since informed me that Munchkin is actually a blue dinosaur who thinks he's a dragon because he wants to be cool like Duncan and Donut. -The Perch Librarian

The Bibliotherapist Will See You Now?

Maybe it's because I'm a perch librarian, but I must say I find the new concept of the "bibliotherapist" a bit strange.  The idea is you go to someone who will "prescribe" books according to what's going on in your life to help you feel better or overcome whatever you're going through.

Bibliotherapy is nothing new, although it's gaining more attention and popularity through books such as The Little Paris Bookshop, which centers on a bookseller who considers himself a "literary apothecary."  Many people have turned to books to read about others like them and see how they handle situations similar to their own.  For instance, a lonely, single woman may read books about how other lonely, single women live their lives to the fullest.  A recently divorced man might want to peruse books about others who have gone through the agony of divorce.  Bibliotherapy is a great way to gain validation that we're not alone in our experiences.

Earlier, we served as our own bibliotherapists seeking books that fit what we needed at the moment, and if we had trouble finding material, we enlisted the help of friendly perch librarians to recommend titles that would be helpful to us.  The librarians' services were and continue to be free of charge whereas bibliotherapists can charge roughly $125 for their services.  Ouch!

As far as I'm aware, there's no accredited program to train biblbiotherapists and there's no guarantee of privacy between bibliotherapists and clients.  In contrast, all librarians are required to have a masters degree from an accredited school of library science and they're expected to follow the Library Bill of Rights, which includes a provision for privacy.

To be clear, the relationship between librarians and patrons is similar to that between doctors and patients.  What you tell us stays with us; we're not supposed to tell others what library questions you've had.  We're also not supposed to tell anyone what library materials you checked out, now or in the past.  This is to protect your privacy and free speech, something ensured by the U.S. Constitution.  The majority of librarians are passionate about protecting the privacy of those they serve, but can the same be said about bibliotherapists?

Perhaps I'm biased as a perch librarian, but I can't help wondering why someone would spend their hard earned cash for the services of someone who has no degree or certification and who has no obligation to keep matters private, while they can seek the services of a bona fide professional for free?

Bibliotherapeutically yours from the perch.

September Tech Tuesdays

The summer's almost over (sniff-sniff) and it's just about time for the kids to go back to school and the rest of us to go back to work.  That means getting back into the groove of things and brushing up on our computer know-how.

So on that note, I'm here to tell you about something special going on in the library during the whole month of September--Tech Tuesdays hosted by yours truly, the perch librarian! *Applause*

Here's the scoop: laptops will be set up in the library conference room every Tuesday during the month of September between 12 and 3 p.m. (you're also welcome to bring your own laptop or electronic device).  If you have questions about how to use the computer, programs, online databases, or anything that's electronic or Internet related, feel free to stop by for some one-on-one help.  No appointment necessary!

Of course, you can always call or stop by the perch with your questions and concerns at any time the library is open.

Always helpfully yours from the perch.

Summer Travel and Books

Here we are in the middle of summer.  The weather's great and the road beckons.  Maybe you're looking to take that great American summer vacation with all the bells and whistles, or maybe you're interested in a simple local day trip.

Whether your trip is near or far, big or small, why not stop by the library for some travel ideas and information?  We got plenty of books on attractions and things to do in the local area and beyond.  For the most current information on your destination, you can use our computers to check some things on the Internet as well.

If you've already made your travel arrangements, don't forget we also have lots of recreational reading for you to enjoy while you're relaxing on the beach or camping in the forest.  Need a break from reading?  Check out an audiobook, CD, or DVD.

Whatever you need or whatever you're planning, chances are we have something that can be of use to you.  Just come on in and load up on the goodies.

And don't forget--the summer reading program continues until August 31 for kids, teens, and adults.  There's still time to do those log sheets and turn them in for prizes and a chance to win the drawings at the end of the summer.

Wishing you happy summer reading from the perch!

Handwriting Making a Comeback?

I'm sure you've probably heard that younger generations are no longer taught cursive handwriting in schools.  Typing lessons have become de rigueur, which is all fine and understandable, especially with computers being an unavoidable part of our lives these days.

On the down side, younger people aren't able to pen their signatures, which have become printed scrawls more easily replicated by forgers than cursive script.  Additionally, younger people can no longer read script, which means they can't read letters written by grandparents or other people from the past who wrote in cursive.

There is hope, however.  Apparently, cursive and calligraphy have become the new rage.  Younger generations are now finding "old school" handwriting with all its imperfections amazingly cool.  Just like other crafts done by hand, such as woodworking and knitting, calligraphy is viewed as another example of handcraftsmanship.

Many people today regard a handwritten note as something special.  After all, the person who did it took considerable time to craft each letter on the page with a writing instrument.  Unlike a laser or ink jet printer, the writer didn't spew out multiple pages in seconds.  It's something personal and more intimate. 

Additionally, beyond their personal and aesthetic qualities, calligraphy and cursive promote cognitive and fine motor skills in the hands.  In other words, handwriting makes your brain think and your hands work in ways they wouldn't otherwise.  Even more reason to give something "old" a new chance.

Old-fashionedly yours from the perch.

Still Alice

I know I'm usually your cutesy, bubbly perch librarian, but today I'd like to be a little more serious and share a book that's personal for me.

Still Alice is by Lisa Genova, a Harvard neuroscientist who uses her background and knowledge to write a story about a college professor dealing with early onset Alzheimer's disease.  It's a human story taking us along on Alice's journey from when she starts recognizing that her memory is beginning to fail to when she can no longer recall family members and must be constantly supervised.

My grandmother started dealing with Alzheimer's disease sometime in her late sixties, and she struggled with it for roughly 10 years until she passed away this year at the age of 81.  I started to read Still Alice when I was flying back from her funeral, and oddly enough, I found some comfort in reading it and having a better understanding of what she was probably going through.

Alzheimer's is a disease that takes its toll not only on the person with it, but also on everyone around that person.  It's scary for the afflicted person not to know where they are and who are the people around them.  They're not able to follow conversations or formulate responses because their brain cells no longer transmit information between each other.  As for those around the person, it's heartbreaking to see their loved one struggling and turning into a person who's only a shadow of  someone they used to know.

Genova does a great job of conveying information about Alzheimer's without being too technical and without losing the human, emotional side of the disease.  When I was reading Still Alice, there were many moments when I recognized my grandmother in Alice, and I'm sure others besides me will see a number of similarities between Alice's behavior and the behavior of someone they know or have known with Alzheimer's.

If your life has been touched in some way by Alzheimer's disease, Genova's Still Alice will help you understand both its physical and mental progression.  And if you don't know someone with Alzheimer's, the book is a well written human story about a person and a family dealing with an unexpected turn of events in their lives.  I highly recommend reading it.

Yours ever sincerely from the perch.

It's All About the Books, 'Bout the Books (No TV)

We're bringing reading back!  Oh, yeah!  Or at least that's what we're trying to do with this year's tremendous, stupendous, and all around fun (*drum roll*)...summer...reading... PROGRAM!!!  (*Thunderous applause!*)  WooHOO!!! 

Okay, now that we've announced it, here's the real scoop, the low down, the dirty details:

• This year's theme is music-centered--Read to the Rhythm!
• The program runs between June 1 and August 31.
• It's open to kids, teens, and adults (in other words, everyone).
• If kids are too young to read, it still counts if books are read to them.
• Kids and teens get PRIZES for turning in reading logs.
• Adults get a Post It cube or a book bag for turning in their first reading slip.
• There are PRIZES.
• Adults get their reading slips put in a drawing for a gift card at the end of the summer.
• Teens get their logs put in a drawing for a treat at the end of the summer, too.
• Kids have their own drawing for a big Mercer Mayer Little Critter doll.
• The dragon is back for the kids--find where he's hiding each week for an extra PRIZE.
• There are PRIZES.
• There are fun events throughout the summer (just check The Link or call the Base Library at 509-247-5556).
• And did I mention there are PRIZES?

So, bring yourself and your gang over to the library and get signed up for the summer reading program!  It's fun, it's free, and there are PRIZES!

Happy summer reading from the perch!

Rails to Trails

If you haven't paid attention to the calendar lately, Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer are less than two weeks away.  Maybe you've thought about things to do in the warm weather when the kids are off from school, but in case you haven't, please allow your friendly, neighborhood perch librarian to make a suggestion.

In the Spokane and Northern Idaho area, there are a number of "rails to trails," former rail lines that have been turned into recreational trails--some of them paved--for bikers, walkers, and joggers.  Many of these trails are free to use and they often go through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Inland Northwest.

The two best known trails are probably the Centennial Trail in Spokane and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Idaho, both of which are free.  The Centennial Trail is 37 miles long, starting west of Spokane and running to the Idaho border where it becomes the North Idaho Centennial Trail and continues for another 24 miles.  The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, which is paved and well maintained, is 72 miles long and crosses the Idaho Panhandle from Plummer in the west to Mullan in the east.

A popular trail located on the Idaho-Montana border is the Route of the Hiawatha.  This unpaved trail with a day use fee is 15 miles long and goes downhill all the way.  The mountain views are stunning, and it even passes through several former railroad tunnels and over a number of former railroad bridges.  If you're not too keen on biking back up to the top, pay a little extra for the shuttle that takes you and your bike to your car.

But don't just take my word about the rails to trails.  Check out these websites and books that are available at the library:

Websites

• Centennial Trail / North Idaho Centennial Trail
• Columbia Plateau Trail
• Fish Lake Trail
• Route of the Hiawatha
• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes 
• TrailLink

Books

• The Official Rails-to-Trails by Mia Barbera
• Best Rail Trails: Pacific Northwest by Natalie Bartley

Enjoy the rails to trails this summer!

Yours truly pondering trails on the perch.

Time for Decluttering!

Any of you out there planning or engaged in some spring cleaning?  Yours truly here has embarked on that daunting task, but I've discovered a secret weapon that helped me (and perhaps you) make the process of cleaning up your closets and your house a little bit easier.

There is a new book out that I highly recommend by Marie Kondo called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I have to confess that I'm not usually into books that tell you how to clean your house, and I'm not a clutter freak.  However, the subtitle, The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, caught my attention.  I wondered what did the Japanese do that was different from what we Americans do when it comes to tidying.

The whole book boils down to this premise: if an item doesn't bring you joy, it's time to get rid of it.  Don't look at it's condition, don't think about how many times you used it in the past year, and definitely don't think whether or not you'll still get use out of it in the future.  The point is, if it doesn't make you happy, if it doesn't bring you joy, then donate it.

At first I thought this was a pretty strange and radical approach to cleaning until I set myself to tackle my closets that had slowly over time started to grow in on themselves.  Yes, there were some sweaters that were in good condition that I haven't worn in years but might still wear them in the future.  According to the standard Western approach, they should remain in my closet; I probably wouldn't wear them anyway, but I would feel guilty about giving them away.

Rather than have those sweaters stay in my closet taking up space for an indefinite length of time, I decided to thank them for their service and for the joy they brought me in the past, as Kondo's book suggests, and part with them guilt-free.  I did this with my entire closet, biding sweet adieu to the items that no longer brought me joy, and now my closest is the most happy, organized, and uncluttered it's ever been.  My husband even has space to put his clothing where my non-joyful and seldom used items once hung.

Sometimes, a book really can change your life, and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has definitely done that for me.  Be sure to stop by the library to check out Kondo's book or the other books we have to help you run your life a little smoother.

Yours truly beholding the power of the book at the perch.

Tax Day Freebies!

I'm sure most of us in the U.S. are probably less than thrilled about April 15, that glorious day on the calendar when the tax man cometh, that day by when all of us are supposed to file our taxes (or at the very least, an extension).  All that paperwork, all those headaches, all that frustration getting receipts together and completing forms--joy to be sure.

Well, a lot of businesses want to make tax day go down a little easier for us (and for them), so many are offering all kinds of freebies and other discounts on April 15.  McDonald's, for instance, is offering a second Big Mac for 1 cent when you buy the first at the regular price.  Burger King is giving a free Whopper with a coupon when you buy one Whopper.  And Schlotzsky's is giving away their small original sandwich for free if you buy a 32 oz drink and a bag of chips.  For a list of various places offering tax day deals, click here.

So if you're feeling a little crabby today because of tax day, make good on taking advantage of some deals that the businesses are offering.  Reward yourself a little for filing your taxes this year.  On a positive note, you won't have to go through the experience again for another 365 days.

Yours ever chipper from the perch.

Patience, Please

Most libraries, including ours, try to be efficient in performing various services.  When you have questions, we try to get you answers as quickly as we can.  When you borrow items, we try to check them out to you as soon as possible so you don't have to wait.  And when you return items, we try to check them back in quickly so they're off your account.

Please bear in mind, however, that putting items into a return dropbox does not mean they are checked in.  For items to be checked in, they need to be collected from the dropbox by a library staff member, brought to the desk, and scanned into our computer system.

When items are placed in the dropbox at the desk, they are checked in almost immediately because we are working at the desk and scan them as they come in.  The dropbox outside and the one by the children's room, though, get emptied once a day, after enough items accumulate.

So often we see library patrons return a bunch of books to the children's dropbox across the way from us, then come straight to the desk to ask if all the items they just returned have been checked in.  Unfortunately, as much as we may wish, we cannot instantly check in items that are in a dropbox across the room.  We also cannot check in items that are in a dropbox outside.

If you would like to have your books immediately checked in and off your account, we'd be more than happy to do so.  Just bring your library items up to the desk.  Don't be scared--we library staff members aren't scary and we don't bite...honest!  We'll scan your returns right in front of you.

Should you prefer to use the dropboxes other than the one at the desk, then please give us time to collect and check in those items.  We will definitely get to them, and we thank you for your patience.

Yours truly patiently waiting for patrons at the perch.

Spring Into Spring!

Okay.  St. Patrick's Day is behind us and ahead of us is...SPRING!  Yup--it's officially here this Friday, March 20 at 3:45 p.m. for everyone here on the West Coast and at 6:45 p.m. for those on the East Coast (food for thought--does that mean the West gets spring earlier than the East even though technically spring comes at the exact same moment?).

I don't know about you, but I'm getting spring fever.  Bad.  Really bad.  My spirits are lifted by tulips poking their leaves from the ground and crocuses adding purple and golden hues to the landscape.  And don't get me started on those blue skies and that glorious sunshine warming things up.  Ahhhh...just take a deep breath and enjoy that fresh, clean spring air!

Now, you may ask, what does the library have to do with spring?  Plenty.  Want to go outside and start planting some flowers?  We got books for gardening.  Want to go hiking in the great outdoors?  We got books on trails and maps.  Want a spring break trip but don't know where to go?  We got plenty of travel books.  Want some good fishing tips?  We got books on fishing and flies.  Want to snap great pics of nature and all the fun things you're doing?  We got books on photography.  Want to know about...well, you get the idea.

We got lots of books on different things that can help you enjoy spring and the great weather.  And, of course, we got good reads for your down time, DVDs, CDs, videogames, and whatever else your heart desires.  All for free!  Just come on in and head on out with stuff that can help enhance your spring experience.  Needless to say, your ever faithful perch librarian is here to be of assistance in your quest for springtime info--yay!

Wishing you a splendid spring from the perch.

May the Irish Charm You

When you think of Ireland, what comes to mind?  The green countryside--check.  A pint of Guinness--check.  Lively music in pubs--check.  Great storytelling--definitely check.

The Irish are known for being born storytellers, and that's no Blarney.  From novels to plays to movies, the Irish have some good stories to tell about their country, themselves, and life in general.  They range from the amusing and entertaining all the way to the serious and heartbreaking.  Whatever mood you're in, you're likely to find something that strikes your fancy.

So, in honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday, I thought I'd come up with a list of Irish offerings to bring out the Irish in you, whether or not you're Irish.

Books

• P. S. I Love You--Cecelia Ahern
• Light a Penny Candle--Maeve Binchy
• The Book of Kells
• How the Irish Saved Civilization--Thomas Cahill
• Dubliners--James Joyce
• 'Tis--Frank McCourt

Plays

• Waiting for Godot--Samuel Beckett
• Dancing at Lughnasa--Brian Friel
• Cathleen Ni Houlihan--Lady Gregory and William Butler Yeats 
• The Beauty Queen of Leenane--Martin McDonagh
• The Plough and the Stars--Sean O'Casey
• Playboy of the Western World--John M. Synge

Movies

• Albert Nobbs
• Circle of Friends
• The Field
• Leap Year
• Michael Collins
• The Quiet Man 

Of course, there are many more Irish books, plays, and movies than those mentioned above, so please stop by the perch if you're looking for something different that's not listed.  And whatever you're reading or watching, enjoy a bit of the Irish and have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May your books be many and your heart be light--me own Irish blessing from the perch.

50 Book Challenge?

As perch librarian, I fly through various websites, checking out what's interesting and useful to my wonderful fans out there.  Perusing different sites on books and reading, I couldn't help noticing that quite a few of them have what's known as "The 50 Book Challenge."

Never heard of that challenge before?  Don't worry--I've only just heard of it myself.  It's a challenge for setting book goals, like reading 50 books in a year.  It's not compulsory to read 50 books (you could read more, you could read less), but 50 is the target number.

I realize each person is different and has his or her own approach to reading.  In my ever so humble opinion, however, I think some of the fun is taken out of reading if "goals" are set.  Something that is normally fun and relaxing can become unenjoyable and stressful.  It's one thing to tell yourself that you want to read more; it's another thing to give yourself a quota and a deadline.

If you ask me, reading should be an ongoing activity, like breathing.  It's something that simply continues, and depending on the material chosen, you may read quickly or you may read slowly.  I relish rushing through a new Harry Potter book because I just HAVE to know what happens next, but I slowly savor the poetic prose of a Willa Cather novel.

With reading, it's the journey that really matters, not the destination.  Take the time to internalize the words and the imagery they evoke.  Whether you're a fast reader or a slow one, be sure to live in the moment of the book you're reading.  The next book will come soon enough in its own due time.

My always modest 2 cents from the perch.

The Big Read

In different parts of the country, libraries bring people together through a community-wide reading program that encourages everyone to read a selected book.  Discussions of the book and other related events are intended to promote understanding and enhance enjoyment of the reading material.

Happily, we have a such a reading program going on during the month of February here at our library.  The Big Read is a program we're participating in along with other libraries in Spokane County.  And the book selected is Jack London's The Call of the Wild.

The classic is told from the perspective of Buck, a dog that's a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie mix.  He lives a rather idyllic life with a good, caring family in California at the turn of the 20th Century.  That is, until the gardener's assistant takes and sells him.  Buck becomes a sled dog in the Klondike region of Canada, getting clubbed into submission, fighting other dogs, and learning how to survive.  Eventually, after one of his masters is killed by members of an Indian tribe, Buck follows his wild instincts and joins a pack of wolves, living with his new animal companions in the wilderness.

You can get free copies of The Call of the Wild at our library.  We will have a book discussion on February 24 at 6:30 p.m. as well as a music program on February 28 at     2 p.m. featuring songs from the Klondike Gold Rush.   For children, there is a fun event called "Who's Scat is That?" on February 21 at 1 p.m. that teaches how to identify different animal scat.

So, there's no need for the winter blahs this February.  We got plenty of interesting things to get you out of your cave and into civilization.  Come out of hibernating and get into the library!

Gettin' my "Wild" groove on at the perch.

A Solemn Anniversary

With today being the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in southern Poland, I feel compelled to take a moment to reflect on it.

No words can do justice in describing the atrocious mass murder of the estimated 1.1 million Jews, Poles, Roma, political dissidents, homosexuals, and others at this one particular death camp alone.  Miraculously, despite the odds of survival against them, a number of people lived through the experience of the camp to tell the world about one of the darkest chapters in humanity's history.

Sadly and expectedly, survivors of Auschwitz and other concentration camps are passing away due to age.  As time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer survivors to tell their stories until eventually they will all be gone.

The stories of the Holocaust, however, will live on in books and in videos.  After making Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg founded the Shoah Foundation in order to film survivors providing their testimonies so that later generations can learn of what happened.  Through Spielberg's efforts and those of others, the memories of what happened will be preserved.

In the future, it will be libraries, archives, museums, and historical foundations that will give voice to those who experienced the horrors of the death camps.  Today with more people around the world denying that the Holocaust even existed, it will be increasingly important that such institutions provide a voice for the victims and to educate so that history will never be repeated.

Be sure to visit your local library or other institution to obtain materials on Auschwitz and the concentration camps.  If you can, spare some time to think about the past while casting a hopeful eye to the future.

Respectfully yours from the perch.

Ease Into the New Year

Are you feeling like me?  You hustle and bustle through the Holiday Season, buying and wrapping gifts, decorating, eating, traveling, and squeezing more things than normal into your days?  And now you're at the point when you collapse on your sofa feeling dazed and confused until you go bleh?

Then maybe we both need to take a break with the New Year, slow down, breathe, reconnect with ourselves, and bring some peace back into our lives.

We got a number of books at the library to help you get your groove again.  Whether you're looking for books on meditation, finding a new hobby, or looking for ways to organize your life.

Not catching the reading bug at the moment?  Don't forget we also have some great Easy Listening CDs, from Josh Groban to Barbra Streisand.  Additionally, there are new DVDs to borrow if you feel like hibernating in your warm, cozy lair on a cold winter's night.

If you do feel like venturing out, however, and want to do some fun things with others, we have some interesting programs going on.  For starters, we now have 2 Spin-a-Yarns a month on the 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday.  There's a Chocolate for the Spouses Soul planned for February when we get to decorate tote bags and, of course, eat chocolate.  Furthermore, there's the Big Read coming up, and we'll have all kinds of things, including a book discussion, on Jack London's The Call of the Wild.

So, be good to yourself, relax, and ease into the New Year.  You deserve it.

Namaste from the perch.