a quarterly newsletter of the Akron-Summit County Public Library
Best-selling
author of
Rocket Boys
& retired
NASA
engineer
Homer H. Hickam, Jr.
to speak April 14 at
Main Library
One of the most sought-after speakers in the
country will speak Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. during
the closing event of North Coast Neighbors Share a
Book. Homer H. Hickam, Jr.’s best-selling memoir,
Rocket Boys, which inspired its movie adaptation,
October Sky, is a story of Hickam’s life as a young boy
in Coalwood, West Virginia who built rockets and
proved that dreams can come true. A book signing will
follow Hickam’s presentation, which will be held in the
Main Library Auditorium.
A coal miner’s son, young Homer was inspired by
Sputnik to enter a rocket in the National Science Fair
and dreamed of being a rocket scientist. Hickam did
grow up to become a NASA engineer. Rocket Boys has
been translated into eight languages and has received
many awards, including #1 on
the The New York Times bestseller list. It was selected by the
New York Times as one of its
Great Books of 1998. The
National Book Critics Circle also
nominated it as best Biography
of 1998.
Spring 2005
Hickam also wrote two follow-up memoirs, The
Coalwood Way and Sky of Stone. In his book We Are
Not Afraid, Hickam tells the stories of the people in his
hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, to illustrate how
they overcame fear and lived productive lives in the
face of daily death in the coal mines.
North Coast Neighbors Share a Book is an initiative
of local libraries in the North Coast region of Ohio.
Based on similar “one book” events held in other cities,
the program represents an effort to unite the
community around a common theme - reading a good
book, and discussing it with others.
NPR’s
Pam Fessler
to speak at
Main
Library
The Akron-Summit County Public Library will
join WKSU in presenting NPR Washington
Correspondent Pam Fessler on Monday, March 7
at 7:30 p.m. at the Main Library Auditorium. The
event is open to the public; seating is limited.
Fessler’s beat at NPR includes Washington
politics, the White House and other legislative
issues. Before becoming a correspondent, Fessler
was the acting senior editor on the Washington
Desk and oversaw the network’s coverage of the
impeachment of President Clinton and the 1998
mid-term elections. She was NPR’s chief election
editor in 1996.
Call WKSU at 1.800.672.2132 for more
information on Fessler’s presentation.
From the Director
David Jennings,
Interim Director
Something for Everyone
The public library is fundamentally a community institution. The library
literally belongs to the residents of the community served, and library professionals strive to provide the variety of library and information services needed
by those residents.
The birth of the American public library coincided with the advent of
public schooling in the 1840s and the notion of tax support for reading and
education. From the 1850s to the mid-1960s, libraries were almost exclusively
books and other printed materials. Print remains at the core of library collections; our library system loans more books now than in any time in our history.
However, in the 40 years since 1965, public libraries have continually expanded
and altered the various formats of materials in library collections in order to
meet community demand.
Not that long ago, library audio visual collections consisted of vinyl
records, film strips, and 16 mm films. Audio cassettes arrived in the late 1970s,
followed by video cassettes in the early 1980s. Compact Discs and DVDs have
now made library collections increasingly digital, but high demand still remains for some of the older formats because not everyone has chosen to
embrace newer technology.
Libraries have had collections of microfilm for decades. One of the
attractions of this format for historical preservation of documents is that
microfilm essentially transcends technological change. As long as you have a
light source, you can read the newspaper on microfilm from 1927.
Clearly the most profound format change in public library history has been
the delivery of information via computer, particularly the Internet. An increasing amount of information requires access to the Internet, and public libraries
play a crucial role in ensuring that all residents of our community have the
ability to seek the information they need.
Because no one can predict the type, size, shape, and cost of the information formats of the future, we have designed our new libraries with flexibility as
the highest priority. We will continue to create collections of library materials
in a variety of formats, for in the public library there truly is something for
everyone.
Celebrate
Women’s
History Month
at Goodyear
Branch Library!
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
6:30 pm
We welcome back the Women In
History group with the dramatic
portrayals of:
Madame C. J. Walker
The First Black Woman Millionaire
and Groundbreaking Entrepreneur
Louise Nevelson
One of America’s Foremost Sculptors
of the 20th Century Eccentric Russian
Immigrant known for her “box
sculptures.”Women In History is a
re-enactment group out of Lakewood,
Ohio that present authentic costumes
and extensive research into the
characters they portray.
Refreshments and Co-sponsorship
furnished by the Tallmadge
Business and Professional
Women.
For more information and to reserve
a seat, please call 330.784.7522.
Patent and Trademark Seminar
Thursday, May 12, 2005 • 9 am to 5 pm • Main Library
Celebrate the Library’s tenth anniversary as a Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) by
attending our free seminar, “Accessing Patent and Trademark Information.” Representatives from the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office will conduct this full-day program for researchers, inventors and
entrepreneurs. Lunch on your own. For more information, please contact the Science and Technology Division,
330.643.9075.
2
News from the Children’s Library
Newbery, Caldecott winners announced
The 2005 American Library Association children’s book awards were announced in January.
The Annual Newbery Medal goes to the author of the previous year’s most distinguished contribution for American literature. The 2005 winner is Cynthia Kadohata, author
of Kira-Kira. Kadohata’s first novel for children follows a Japanese family’s fortunes as
they make a new life for themselves in Georgia during the 1950s. “With compelling
quietude that makes room for both pathos and humor, this luminous novel takes us on
Katie Takeshima's journey through a childhood punctuated by prejudice, poverty and
family tragedy,” said Award Committee Chair Susan Faust. “Young readers will be drawn
into a narrative that radiates hope from the inside out.”
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John
Newbery. The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American
Library Association, awards it annually.
The annual Caldecott Medal goes to the artist of the previous year’s most distinguished
American picture book for children. The 2005 Caldecott Medal winner is Kitten’s First
Moon, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes. This seemingly simple book about a kitten
that mistakes the full moon for a saucer of milk should become a classic. “Thoughtful
design, from the front jacket with reflective silver letters to the final image, sustains a
completely satisfying read-aloud experience,” said Caldecott Award Chair Betsy Hearne.
“Kitten's frustration and eventual triumph--emotions familiar to young children--find artistic
expression in a meticulously crafted book with classic appeal.”
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
The award-winning titles are available in the Children’s Library at Main Library and at branch libraries. Bookmarks
listing the winning titles will also be available. Read more about the full list of winners and honor books at
www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/literaryrelated.htm.
Popular Children’s Video and DVD Series now in Children's Library
Wee fans of Dora the Explorer, Clifford the Big
Red Dog and Angelina Ballerina are in a league of
their own now that the children’s videotape and
DVD series is housed in the Children’s Library at
Main Library. The collection, including Bob the
Builder, Arthur, and Thomas the Tank Engine,
contains films of interest to children through age 8. Also
included are non-fiction videos in the Eyewitness series,
parenting videos on toilet training and child safety. The
Baby Einstein series is available in both video and DVD
format. Learning videos for babies and toddlers that focus
on concepts such as shapes colors, counting and ABC's
are another popular section.
The Children’s Library contains a large collection of
musical and sing-along videos with Barney, Sesame
Street, High 5, Veggie Tales, The Wiggles, Wee Sing and
Disney sing-along songs.
Feature-length films such as Stuart Little, Harry Potter
or Toy Story remain in the Audio/Visual Services
division.
3
Knitting, crocheting
programs will
have you in stitches
all age groups. Many celebrities are knitting too, helping
to popularize the craft,” said Euclide.
Who would have thought old fashioned knitting
needles and crochet hooks could compete with iPODS
and laptops among today’s teenagers? Youth librarians
Denise Lee and Julia Euclide did. They tested the
waters, and the results are amazing.
Search the Akron-Summit County Public Library online
catalog using the “words in title” function with the word
“knit” or “knitting.” Use the subject search function
with the word “knitting.”
Lee started the Teen Crochet Club at Tallmadge Branch
Library in January. “We have 18 teens and 5 adult
volunteer teachers. I have another 12 teens on a
waiting list,” said Lee, who hopes to repeat the
program. “We are making those popular fun fur scarves
after learning basic stitches. We meet every Wednesday
at 6:30 p.m. for 90 minutes to work on the scarves. We
sit in groups of four facing each other, people learning
and talking. Everyone seems to be enjoying
themselves; we even have a couple of boys,” says Lee
who would like to develop a craft program where teens
also talk about the latest books they’ve been reading.
Julia Euclide, young adult librarian at Firestone Park
Branch Library, shares Lee’s mission. “Our knitting club
is called “Chill Out and Knit” and it meets the first
Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. It began as a teen
knitting club, but we welcome knitters of all ages and
abilities. We teach new knitters how to knit, spend time
sharing about our recent projects, and enjoy each
other’s company while we knit.”
Recently Main Library librarian Judie Hershey taught
knitters how to make their own wooden knitting
needles with fimo clay ends. “Some upcoming plans
include a yarn swap, dying yarn with kool aid, and
learning more advanced knitting techniques,” said
Euclide, who says between 5 - 10 participants meet
each month in the cozy small meeting room at
Firestone Park. We also have participants ages 10 - 16,
plus adults.
“Knitting is rapidly growing in
popularity and is popular with
men and women alike and across
4
Euclide developed the “Chill Out and Knit: A resource
guide for knitters” hand-out for Firestone Park
participants.
Browse the nonfiction book shelves around 746 series
at the library. Main Library has a wealth of resources
and many books where you can find patterns for
everything imaginable and plenty of basic and
advanced knitting help.
The Internet is a goldmine of knitting information. One
of the best general, animated, learn to knit sites is
About.com:
www.dnt-inc.com/barhtmls/knittech.html It is as
close as you can come to having a real person actually
show you a technique.
www.stitchguide.com/stitches/knitting/
index.html includes everything you need to get
started or to refresh your memory. It is a good
reference for learning to increase, decrease, bind off,
etc.
www.woolworks.org/about.html Wool Works,
formerly known as the Online Knitting Magazine, is the
oldest collection of handknitting information on the
Web.
Warm Up America
www.warmupamerica.com/ offers an opportunity
for volunteers to donate their time to crochet and knit a
7" X 9" rectangle (or more). Sections are either joined
by individuals or groups in a community and donated
locally or sent to Foundation headquarters for joining
and distribution. Thousands of blankets have been
given to those in need. The Mogadore Branch Library
has a Warm Up America group meeting that meets
regularly. Call the branch library at 330.628.9228 for
more information.
Hot Topics
It’s time for another look at the books that people
around the nation are reading and talking about.
All of these titles are available at the AkronSummit County Public Library.
Malcolm Gladwell: BLINK - THE POWER OF
THINKING WITHOUT THINKING
This fascinating number one bestseller
explores the importance of hunch and
instinct to the workings of the minds. Part
scientific survey and part self-help, the book
always is thought-provoking and insightful.
Written by the NEW YORKER columnist and
author of “The Tipping Point.”
Jared Diamond: COLLAPSE - HOW SOCIETIES
CHOOSE TO FAIL OR SUCCEED
The author of “Guns, Germs, And Steel” conducts
a historical investigation in order to discover why
some societies prosper while others decline.
Terry Gross: ALL I DID WAS
ASK
The popular host of Public
Radio's “Fresh Air” collects some of her favorite
interviews with a wide variety of writers, actors,
musicians, and artists, illuminating much about
creativity and our common culture in the
process.
Natan Sharansky: THE CASE FOR DEMOCRACY
The former Soviet dissident and political prisoner
makes the case for “the power of freedom to
overcome tyranny and terror.” This muchdiscussed book has been quoted and praised by
President George W. Bush.
Seth Mnookin: HARD NEWS THE SCANDALS AT THE NEW YORK TIMES
AND THEIR MEANING FOR AMERICAN MEDIA
The definitive and at times controversial
account of the Jayson Blair and other
journalistic scandals at America’s most
important newspaper, and the resulting effect
on politics and trust in the media.
by Bob Ethington, Popular Culture Division Manager
Bulletin Board
Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Dates
Please call 330.643.9101 to verify
locations and times prior to attending.
Thursday, March 31, 4 p.m.
Main Library, 60 S. High Street
Thursday, April 28, 4 p.m.
Goodyear Branch Library
60 Goodyear Blvd.
Thursday, May 26, 4 p.m.
Main Library, 60 S. High Street
Holiday Library Hours
Sunday, March 27–closed
Easter Sunday
Sunday, May 29
Monday, May 30–closed
Memorial Day
Mission Statement
The Akron-Summit County Public
Library enriches our community by
providing every person with effective
access to the human record.
Board of Trustees
Frank C. Comunale, President
Jack Morrison, Jr., Vice-President
Scott H. Jaffe, Secretary
Lolita Adair
Pat Kumar
Russ Pry
James D. Switzer
David Jennings, Interim Director
Carla J. Davis, Marketing Communications
Director
Donald E. Peoples, Graphic Artist
Shelf Life is published quarterly by the
Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60
S. High Street, Akron, OH 44326. Vol. 9,
Issue 3.
If you would like a free subscription to
Shelf Life, please call Donna Perry in the
Library’s Marketing and Communications
Department at 330.643.9091.
5
Akron-Summit County Public Library
60 South High Street
Akron, Ohio 44326
Non-Profit Organization
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PAID
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Akron, Ohio
In This Issue:
Rocket Boys Author ............... 1
NPR Correspondent ................ 1
From the Director .................. 2
Women’s History Month ......... 2
Patent & Trademark Seminar .. 2
News from Children’s Library .. 3
Knitting, Crocheting ............... 4
Hot Topics .............................. 5
Bulletin Board ....................... 5
Summer Reading Tour ............ 6
Library Collaboration ............. 6
Library, CSBMR/DD collaboration
benefits children with special needs
For the last two years, an early childhood specialist from the County of Summit Board of
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (CSBMR/DD) has attended baby time,
toddler time and story time programs at Mogadore Branch Library. The specialist attends the
Tuesday programs at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. A speech therapist visits on Tuesday afternoons.
Marcie Cooper, MR/DD early intervention specialist, is thrilled with the collaboration.
“It’s unique. Many families in early intervention do activities in the home environment. This
is an attempt to encourage parents to leave their homes and attend programs with children
of similar ages as theirs.”
There is a playtime for the children after the programs. During this time, parents are
encouraged to talk with CSBMR/DD specialists if they are worried about some aspect of their
child's development. Most times, the specialist is able to reassure the parents that there isn’t
a problem. However, if there is, the specialist is able to refer parents to the services CSBMR/
DD provides. Further, the programs provide a way for parents to meet and form friendships
with other parents of children with special needs.
The partnership allows parents to work on socialization and integration skills for the
kids. “I see a big difference when I do assessments. The largest growth areas are language
and cognitive skills. Most of all, the children love it,” said Cooper.
Live! In
Your
Library!
The Summer Reading Tour
June 6-July 30
2005
Summer
reading
program for all
ages
Visit our web site at
www.akronlibrary.org