Your Library Staff at Home

Your Library Staff at Home- What I’m Reading Now

Nicole2 Comments

I’ve been making great usage of both Hoopla and Overdrive over the past couple weeks to satisfy my reading appetite, but have also taken this time at home as an opportunity to pick up some titles in my home library that I’ve never read. Scroll on for some of my just finished and currently in progress reads.

In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt

Oh how I loved this book! This memorizing horror-fantasy- historical fiction-thriller novel grabbed me and wouldn’t let me put it down until I knew all it’s twisty secrets. Set in colonial New England, readers are led along by one seemingly innocent young woman who finds herself lost in the woods after berry-picking for her husband and son. Her wanderings bring her to meet other women in the woods and it quickly becomes clear not all is as it seems and the truth is hard to discern. Highly recommended if you enjoyed the 2015 film The Witch, or The Familiars by Stacey Halls. Available through OverDrive.

Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman ; Illustrated by Colleen Doran

This dark retelling of the Snow White fairy tale, by one of my all-time favorite authors, flips the classic story in a fresh and chilling way. Snow, Glass, Apples is narrated by the stepmother, who is actually quite good, and who must protect herself and her kingdom from the King’s monstrous daughter- Snow White. Beautifully illustrated and written, any fan of Gaiman or fairy tales will want to pick this up. Winner of the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel. Available through Hoopla.

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

I started reading this a while back and never finished it- probably because I had began this book while on my honeymoon in Hawaii and it’s not really a “beach read” sort of book. But! I am picking it back up and so far it is quite a curious, witty, and weird (perhaps even a bit romantic) mash-up of literary fiction and some magical realism. I think this time around I will finish this! Available through OverDrive.

Bunny by Mona Awad

The great Margaret Atwood tweeted this book was a combination, among other things, of the Witches of Eastwick and Mean Girls, so I was sold. I’ve only just begun this dark and funny novel but am very excited to see where it goes! Available through OverDrive.

Little Josephine: Memory in Pieces by Valerie Villieu; Illustrated by Raphael Sarfati

This heartwarming graphic novel is a first-hand account of the unlikely friendship that blossomed between a home nurse and her 84- year old patient stricken with Alzheimer’s, Josephine. Humor and laughter bring the two together, and readers will enjoy this story of human connection. The story takes place in Paris, but it’s critiques of an overloaded healthcare system and the frustrations of geriatric care easily translate to American healthcare and makes for a story that many can relate to. Available through Hoopla.

What is everyone else reading at home? I hope you have read some fabulous books and that perhaps one of my titles will spark your interest for your next digital checkout. Happy reading and stay safe!

Your Library Staff At Home… Staff Highlight

MaryLeave a comment

Stacey 

Outreach Coordinator

What is your favorite book you have read this year and why is it your favorite?

I think my favorite book is always the next book I plan to read BUT if you’re looking for a smart mystery/thriller, I’d suggest Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman.

Mr. Nobody - Audiobook

What book are you looking forward to reading next?

The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz

The Daughters of Erietown - Audiobook

What are you you currently watching?

Making the Cut with Tim and Heidi, restarting Expanse, and all sorts of YouTube!

What are you listening to…music, podcasts?

I subscribe to a whole bunch of podcasts but a few favorites are: Flash Forward, Stuff You Should Know, 99% Invisible, Imaginary Worlds, and NPR Life Kit.

What are you doing to occupy your time during these uncertain times?

There’s still a lot of my job I can do from home, I’m putting more time into meal planning (finally!) and enjoying a wide-range of comfort carbs, watching more movies and TV shows  than I have in a long while, staying connected to physically distant family and friends, and finishing a half-done needlepoint canvas before I pick up a new project (to finish!)…. I’m guessing this list will sound pretty familiar to people, right?

10765 Best Needlepoint images in 2020 | Needlepoint, Needlepoint ...

Your Library Staff at Home -Sunshiny Sunday Edition!

staceyLeave a comment

We’re firmly into Spring now and the sun is coming out so much more often -it’s fabulous! Although Fall will always be my favorite season (warm days/crisp evening air, s’mores, the leaves as they turn beautiful colors), but also very happy to have the sunshine and open windows we can enjoy now. (Downside? Pollen. so. much. pollen. sigh…)

So this week maybe we’ll have the chance to be outside a little more -maybe listening to an audiobook like Crazy Rich Asians or podcast like Flash Forward while taking a walk, or calling a friend while we sit in the sun. Doesn’t that sound nice? (I might add a scoop of ice cream in there -cone or bowl- but that’s me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Once you’re in for the evening and  you’re looking for something to watch, I can say Victorian Slum House, the 1900s on hoopla is a series worth spending some quality time with! I’ve really enjoyed the previous series PBS has created, from Frontier House to The 1940s House, sending everyday modern people back in time to experience the daily life of that time period. As these volunteers get caught up in their new world so do viewers and soon it feels like we’re all in it together… (and reminds me how lucky I am to live in a time and place where indoor plumbing is the norm)!

Today, while I continue some serious Spring cleaning, I’m going to start listening to Wisdom From a Humble Jellyfish by Rani Shah and update you my progress next week!

Be kind to yourself and enjoy that extra Vitamin D shining down!

—Stacey

Your Library Staff at Home- Arts and Culture Online

GregLeave a comment

Today we are highlighting an institution with collections and archives about state history. There are some great tools and resources below for educators and parents as well as researchers and genealogists.

Ohio History Connection

The Ohio History Collection, formally the Ohio Historical Society, is a non-profit that has been around since 1885. They provide Ohio history services, house the state archive, and manage over 50 historical sites all across Ohio.

Their Learn at Home page from the museum’s education department breaks down their lessons into different levels of learning:

K–3

4–8

9–12 

Adult Learners

Each section has different topics for you to choose from along with recommend grade level. When you select a topic you will see links to lesson plans, activities/prompts, and videos. Have questions about one of the topics or resources? During this closure you are able to Ask the Museum Educator.

Their Youtube Channel offers videos on a wide range of topics. You will find videos of historical reenactors, exhibition highlights, behind the scene looks, and curators using the collection to discuss different moments in the state’s history.

Their Digital Resource page features all their digital collections and can be a great place to start if you are beginning your search into what they have available. Here you will finds links to:

If you are looking for historical images or interactive Digital Collections page offers even more resources.

Your Library at Home – Music to Brighten Your Mood

BethLeave a comment

We recently introduced a new music streaming service available with your RRPL card called Freegal. Freegal gives you access to 3 HOURS OF FREE STREAMING MUSIC A DAY! Don’t know where to begin with Freegal? Check out a few of these playlists:

I hope these playlists help you discover the vast catalog available to you in Freegal with your library card.

—Beth

Your Library Staff at Home- Must Watch Documentaries

Nicole7 Comments

Have you watched all the guilty pleasure reality television you can handle? Re-watched all of your favorite classic films? Caught up on all those Oscar-nominated movies that you missed? If you find yourself struggling to find great viewing at home, I’ve put together a list of five stellar documentaries that you can watch at home right now for free!

Faces Places

This utterly charming documentary was recommended to me a while back by Dori, our Adult Services Manager who always has a great film tip up her sleeve, and I finally got around to watching it last week. This delightful film follows 89-year old Agnes Varda, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, and acclaimed 33 year-old French photographer and muralist JR in what is essentially a roadtrip movie through France. Winner of the Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Available through Kanopy.

13th

Netflix recently made a variety of educational documentaries available for free viewing on YouTube- you can view all of the free documentary offerings here. The amazing documentary 13th is one of these offerings and a definite must watch. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. This critically acclaimed film will leave you with much to think about.

Bombshell

Bombshell shares the inspiring story of Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr as she fled an oppressive marriage to create a name for herself as one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies in the 1940s. Viewers learn that behind the glamour and sex appeal was a very talented and inquisitive inventor who created a radio system that is now considered the basis of Bluetooth technology. Lamarr didn’t receive credit for this achievement but this film looks to give her recognition long past due. Available through Kanopy.

I Am Not Your Negro

Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, this Oscar-nominated documentary explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism. In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House. The book was to be a personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends–Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Sadly, the book wasn’t completed and consisted of only thirty pages at the time of Baldwin’s death. Filmmaker Raoul Peck utilizes archival footage and Baldwin’s own words to envision the book he never finished, providing an excellent introduction to Baldwin’s work and an intriguing look at racism in America. Available through Kanopy.

Geek Girls

Geek Girls looks at the “hidden half” of fan culture- women! Nerdy ladies open up about their personal experiences in the world of conventions, video games, and other pop culture circles that are burdened by widespread misogyny. While geek communities have recently risen to prominence, very little attention is paid to nerdy women. Filmmaker Gina Hara, struggling with her own geek identity, explores the issue with a cast of geeky women including a feminist geek blogger, a professional gamer, and a NASA engineer. Official selection of the Cleveland International Film Festival. Available through Kanopy.

I hope something sparks your interest from my list! Each and every one of these documentaries is thought-provoking and well worth a watch. I guarantee you will learn something too, which is always what I expect from a good documentary. What are some of your favorite documentaries? I’d love to hear your picks in the comments!

Happy viewing and stay well!

Your Library Staff At Home… Staff Highlight

MaryLeave a comment

Krista

Administration

What was your favorite book you read in the last year and why?

Dear Edward - ebook

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano.  It’s about a young man finding his place in the world after he becomes the sole survivor of a plane crash. It’s heartbreaking and uplifting and honest.

What book are you looking forward to reading next?

The Red Lotus - ebook

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

What are you currently watching?

Re-watching some of my favorite movies like Notting Hill, Julie and Julia, and A Good Year. I just finished Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu and Better Call Saul on Netflix. Currently watching a clever tv series called Community on Netflix.

What are you listening to…music, podcasts?

Listening to classical music in the morning with my coffee. Podcasts: I’m keeping it light and staying away from true crime… Every Little Thing, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Young House Love Has a Podcast

What are you doing to occupy your time during these uncertain times?

I’m walking a lot.  Playing Words with Friends (for the first time) with my daughters who live out of state.  Watching videos of my granddaughter. Cooking and baking more than I care to, only because I like to eat. I’m organizing old photos, cleaning out closets, and recently polished every single antique brass door knob in our house. My husband and I love to hike, and have been exploring all of the Metroparks.

The Cleveland Metroparks – CBS Cleveland

 

Your Library Staff at Home – When things seem dark, seek out the light!

carolLeave a comment

I’ve had a tough time this past week finding joy in my recent book and TV choices. I only have myself to blame for watching Hunters–an Amazon series that actually landed on my radar because it is controversial. Al Pacino stars as a Holocaust survivor with many secrets–among them is that he heads up a group of New Yorkers in the 1970s, who run around murdering Nazis, Tarantino-style. Though slick, violent and action-packed, the usual recipe for a winning hit, I found that this show, which is in hot water after being accused of revising history and exploitation, was just not for me. Have you seen it? Agree? Disagree?

I read The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons, a first novel that is touted as a “love affair between the living and the dead,” and I wanted to love it. The premise: Thomas is a recently dead man who is sent back to live for an extra three months because of an angel’s clerical error. He begins a relationship with Rachel, a living woman who feels unable to make fulfilling connections with others. It was quirky, sexy and original and I rushed to the end, but I ultimately found the star-crossed lovers’ relationship to be codependent and toxic. I’ll try Bonnaffons again, but no, for me, this one wasn’t true love. the regrets

Maybe these bold and unusual choices would have dazzled me in different circumstances, but right now I’m craving light. This morning I looked for new visitors at our bird feeder, noticing a smaller woodpecker I’ve never seen before, the mallard duck couple who visit here early in the mornings, and the many new flowers springing up around the yard. I am restored.

Take care of yourself, wash hands, read and repeat.

Your Library Staff at Home -checking in

staceyLeave a comment

Hello Friends! Let’s do a little figuring today, shall we? Maybe you can help me figure out why some days the snacks I eat are all crunchy but other days they’re sweet, or why -even though I cooked before March 16, 2020- I feel like I’m constantly making the next meal, or (maybe my favorite thing to ponder) why there’s still a toilet paper shortage -doesn’t everyone who was worried about this have a sizable stash by now, or why there’s so much dust despite daily cleaning?Let me know what you’re thinking -I’m ready to get some answers!

If you need a little background music to do your deep thinking -did you know the Library is now offering Freegal? Maybe you’ve seen something about this on the Library’s social media?

🕺Dance like nobody is watching!💃
Freegal® Music is our new FREE music streaming and download music service. You can download and keep 3 MP3 songs per week and stream 3 hours of music per day! All you need is your library card number and PIN.

Start downloading or streaming now! 🎶https://www.freegalmusic.com/home
Freegal IOS App ➡️ https://apple.co/39lG42a
Freegal Android App ➡️ https://bit.ly/2WOZutX
*Search Rocky River as your location*

I’ve been enjoying! There even some pre-made playlists like: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees or Walk It Off : A Walking Playlist you might want to give a listen!

This week’s shop small adventure was a movie ticket to stream Capital in the Twenty-First Century at home and a snazzy hat to support CIFF44!

Looking ahead to what I can do this week? I’m going to “dine out” with a delivery or curbside pick-up (and future cooking me says, “thanks for the break!”) and I’m going to start reading one new book-either Florida Man by Tom Cooper or Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz, plus revisit a favorite children’s book -maybe something by Roald Dahl?

What do you think you’d like to try this week? Or maybe you want to revisit an old favorite (book, song, and recipe) too? All book title, song name, and reliable recipe suggestions are welcome!

Be kind to yourself

—Stacey

Your Library Staff at Home- Arts and Culture Online

GregLeave a comment

This week we are featuring the virtual resources of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Founded in 1879 this art museum is one of the nation’s oldest and largest. Their virtual resource page, Visit us Virtually, has a curated collection of what they offer while the building itself is closed. Though all of there resources are available at any time.

Their temporary exhibition El Greco: Ambition and Defiance has a page with ways the viewer can see and experience the work while the museum is closed.

Their Collection Page showcases their impressive holdings, including this famous piece.

American Gothic, Grant Wood, Oil on Beaver Board, 1930- The Art Institute of Chicago-
1930.934

If you scroll down on each of the object’s individual pages you will see a link to Multimedia, which offers video and audio resources, and Educational Resources, which offers teacher guides about the work.

For parents and educators there is a wealth of resources when creating lesson plans. Their Educator Resource page has packets on select objects that include background on the object, maker information, vocabulary, and history on the time it was made.

Their interactive Journey Maker uses themes to create a custom map of different objects in the museum. A great tool for when you are exploring the museum in person, it is still an engaging way for learners to explore the collection digitally.

You can also check out the Get Creative at Home webpage for creative activity prompts, writing prompts, and even coloring book pages based on some of the most well known pieces in the collection.

Their Youtube Channel features their virtual tours, past recorded lectures, educational videos about objects and artists, and past promotional videos.

Additionally, the museum offers Audio Tours, Interactive Articles, Digital Publications, and a Blog. The Blog features articles about the collection, conservation efforts, artist profiles and dispatches from their staff at home.

In the artcile It Broke: Dispatch from a Homeschooling Conservator, Rachel Sabino writes about how she is using toy repair as an opportunity teach her 5 year old about materials and the day to day of her job.