Libraries--They Are A-Changin'

Have you stepped into the library lately? If you haven't for a while, you may be in for a surprise. People are talking, kids are building with Legos, and teens are playing games on their smartphones. It's not your grandmother's library in which silence was golden and bespectacled librarians with tight hair buns shushed anyone who spoke above a whisper (thinking about it, I don't think I've ever "shushed" a library patron).

Once upon a time, libraries were primarily storehouses of books, places from which you could borrow materials or study them in quiet. As years went by, other materials--audio/visual, magazines, newspapers, board games, museum passes, and more--were acquired by libraries and lent out. Naturally, storytimes for children along with various programs for people of all ages were added.

Nowadays, in our "plugged-in" world where the town square is dead and malls are dying, libraries have become the last places where people can gather without having to pay anything to stay as long as they like. They have transformed over time to serve as community centers, where children can play and adults can learn different skills in informal classes. Sometimes, movies are shown or musical recitals are held. Libraries are definitely not the same quiet places of yore.

That is not to say, however, that there aren't places within the library where you can find peace away from the noise and bustle. There are study rooms (walk-in or by reservation) for those who would like to have a refuge dedicated to concentration. And between storytimes or other programs, the library still does have its quiet moments when you can work in a carrel or snooze in a comfy armchair. Libraries are for everyone.

Wishing you good library visits from the perch.

Recipes of the Irish

(Full disclosure: I posted this just before I went to lunch, when my stomach was getting grumbly and my head was feeling light. It's a re-post, but a handy one with St. Patrick's Day coming up.)

When most of us think of Irish food, corned beef and cabbage along with a pint of Guinness probably come to mind. Irish cuisine, however, goes beyond those two St. Patrick's Day staples. Take a look at these recipes which are bound to make your mouth water:

• Colcannon (Spend With Pennies)  It's hard to get any better than creamy, Irish-style potatoes with bacon, cabbage, and butter--oh, my!
• Corned Beef and Cabbage (Dinner at the Zoo)  Easy, traditional, slow cooker recipe with melt-in-your-mouth meat.
• Irish Beef and Guinness Stew (Recipe Tin Eats)  A hearty beef stew full of flavor, perfect when served over mashed potatoes.
• Irish Potato Leek Soup (My Recipes)  Great for St. Patrick's Day or any chilly day.
• Irish Tea Cake (Will Cook for Smiles)  A no-fuss, buttery cake that's great with a cup of tea.
• Scones (Bigger Bolder Baking)  The best recipe ever for Irish scones. Period.
• Soda Bread (Sally's Baking Addiction)  Classic, flavorful, simple-to-make quick bread.

So, are you getting hungry yet? Why not try one of these tasty recipes? And don't forget to check out other delectable delicacies offered by the websites.

Wishing you good eats and a Happy St. Patrick's Day from the perch.

Leapin' Leap Day!

Get ready for February 29--Leap Day! In case you weren't aware, every four years is a Leap Year, which makes the year 366 days long rather than the usual 365. That extra day gets added to February, giving us 29 days that month instead of 28. Why the extra day? Since it takes the Earth 365.24 days to rotate around the sun, that extra day every four years keeps the calendar on track. This is how winter stays in January and doesn't shift to July (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least).

Of course, an offbeat day like Leap Day has been the inspiration for different traditions, one of which is Bachelor's Day, a.k.a. Ladies' Privilege in Ireland. Saint Bridget supposedly asked Saint Patrick to allow women to propose to men on one day every four years because some men took their darn sweet time to propose.

This tradition of women proposing on Leap Day has lasted through the present (not that women nowadays can't take the lead and do the proposing any time of the year they want). The movie, Leap Year, which can be borrowed from our library on DVD (shameless plug here), shows this tradition at work rather humorously.

Amy Adams' character in the movie decides to surprise her feet-dragging boyfriend on Leap Day by proposing to him in Ireland, where he's attending a conference. She runs into one comic obstacle after another trying to reach him on time, and if I say any more I'll be giving the rest of the movie away. Just take my word that it's a cute movie full of laughs. Be sure to check it out sometime this Leap Year.

Wishing you a happy Leap Day (and year) from the perch.

Library Love

Are you in love...with your library? We most certainly hope so! February is Library Lover's Month, a great time to show your library some love. 

From time to time, I enjoy reading fictional books about libraries and librarians. I suppose what I do is similar to nurses watching medical dramas to see how accurately their profession is depicted by others not in the medical field. It's interesting to see how some writers imagine what happens in a place where I spend a great deal of time.

Here are several books I've read and liked that focus on different libraries: 

• What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (Hoopla, Libby)  I really enjoyed this one. Although the story is fictional, it shows the real power of a librarian and a friendly staff member at a Tokyo library. They can make patrons feel welcomed and valued; sometimes, they can even find the right books to help people change their lives.
• The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles (BT F SKE, Libby)  This book is loosely based on the true story of what was happening at the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation of France.
• The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (Libby)  If you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a library, this one is for you. It focuses on the wife of a superintendent living in an apartment in the main branch of the New York Public Library in 1913 and her granddaughter, a curator at the same library in 1993.
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (BT F HAI, Libby)  How would you like to go to a library in which every book is about you and the different paths you could have taken in life? See what happens to one woman who goes to such a library. Would she have done anything differently in her life knowing the various possible outcomes?
• The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson (Libby)  London during the Blitz has many stories, but this is one of a makeshift library deep in the Bethnal Green station of the Underground and its staff raising the spirits of people through books.

Do you have a book you like that takes place in a library? Share with us!

Wishing you lots of lovely library experiences from the perch.

Books that Pay

Do you own some rare books? I'm talking about first editions, anniversary editions, and out of print editions. Those of us who are book lovers have probably bought a few books over time. We brought them lovingly to our homes and happily read them. And then, they got relegated to the back of our bookshelves and ultimately forgotten until we do a deep cleaning.

The deep cleaning of my bookshelves happened last summer. It was well past time to part with a number of books that went untouched for years. They took up space with little, if any, justification. The "common" books I no longer used (paperbacks, popular fiction, and easily obtained non-fiction) went to a local library's book sale, and hopefully, they will be enjoyed by others. There were some books in my personal collection, however, that were more rare.

One such book I had was a collector's edition of Christopher Paolini's Eragon, which was published with a faux leather cover in 2013. I picked it up on sale for a few dollars in a bookstore some years ago, thinking it was a nice copy to have or give as a gift to someone. Fast forward to the present: my husband put the book up for sale on eBay and it sold...for 400 dollars! Now it's on its way to Italy to make some reader in Europe happy (I know it made me happy!).

The lesson to be learned--you never know what treasures (literary and financial) may be hidden on your bookshelves. Who knows? You may even have tucked away a first edition of the first book in the Harry Potter series.

Wishing you happy book experiences (rare and otherwise) from the perch.

FREE Books to Keep--No Kidding!

You read that right! The library is giving away FREE books! Now that those bills are coming in after the holidays, anything free probably sounds good at this point. To clarify, I'm not talking about books you can check out and borrow from the library; I'm talking about books you can take home and keep forever and ever!

You may be wondering what this is all about. Well, if you didn't know, our library has a Free Shelf with adult, teen, and children's books. Occasionally, we even have DVDs, CDs, and books in different languages. What we have on the shelves keeps changing, so the offerings always stay fresh.

How can we give away books for free? Often, we get donations from patrons who are cleaning out their homes or moving. Children and teens may outgrow some books, adults may no longer need textbooks and other materials. If our library is unable to add items to our collection, we put them on our Free Shelf for others to take and enjoy.

So, come on over and help yourself to things on our Free Shelf. Take some for yourself, your kids, and your friends. Got a holiday or birthday coming up for a book lover? Get a gift without spending a dime (don't worry--it's our secret!). Just please don't take items from the library's collection without checking them out first.

Wishing you and yours many good reads from the perch.

Caregiver Care

If you're wondering why I haven't been at the perch for a while, it's because I was caring for my mother who was recently hospitalized for pneumonia with sepsis (this can happen at any age; for symptoms and more information consult the Mayo Clinic). Thankfully, she will be fine, but being her caregiver (and also my father's--he's 81 and needs help with some everyday tasks) made me stressed and exhausted. I'm sure anyone who's been through similar will attest the same, in addition to proclaiming the importance of taking care of yourself so you can be there for your loved one.

Here's what I learned about the needs of caregivers from my own experience:

• Get rest.  The person who is ill needs rest, but so do you. If you're tired and depleted, you won't be much good in providing help. Furthermore, you put yourself at risk for getting sick.
• Eat and Drink.  Don't forget your own basic needs to keep up your strength and avoid dehydrating.
• Use the restroom.  How can anyone not do this? Well, it's not too hard when you have doctors, nurses, and others coming in and out of the hospital room, and you're getting up and down giving your loved one sips of water as well as adjusting blankets.
• Take your own meds.  If you're on maintenance medications, like yours truly, be sure to remember your own health.
• Ask for help.  As a general rule, I try not to bother others, but when I really need help, I've learned to ask for it. I was really grateful to my husband and in-laws for helping with different things, like bringing over groceries and food.
• Read a book.  Seriously. You need a mental break sometimes from what you're doing and what's going on. I was glad to read my Kindle in the hospital during those times when my mother was able to sleep. It was good to have a temporary distraction.

There are all sorts of support groups both online and in-person for caregivers of those with various illnesses, aging issues, physical/mental/emotional impairments, etc. Some support groups are specific to a condition (i.e., breast cancer, dementia, autism) or are more general. If you're wondering how you can help someone you know who's caring for someone on a short- or long-term basis, here are some online articles to read:

• "6 Simple (Yet Meaningful) Ways to Support a Caregiver" (Caring Bridge)
• "10 Ways to Help Caregivers" (Bridge to Better Living)
• "Caregiver Stress: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself" (Mayo Clinic)
• "Family Caregiving: Help and Support for Caregivers" (HelpGuide.org)
• "How to Support a Caregiver" (Carespring)

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Holiday Season from the perch.