The Second Floor Librarians

“I love good food.   If I weren’t a writer and a wanderer, I’d be a chef/restaurant owner” says writer Andrew Pham.  Fortunately for us he does indeed love to cook as well as write and travel, and will be in Corvallis soon to share some of these passions with us. Pham, author of the books Catfish and Mandala, The Eves of Heaven, and the new A Culinary Odyssey: My cookbook diary of travels, flavors, and memories of Southeast Asia, will be visiting Corvallis May 4 and 5 for events sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

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This week, April 9-14, 2012, is National Library Week! To celebrate, we have several Star Wars-themed events going on for Adults, Teens and Kids.  If Star Wars isn’t your thing, however, the library has other events going on in addition, such as the usual children story time hours every week, a Random Review of Country Driving: a journey from farm to factory on Wednesday, and an author talk with Ana Maria Spanga (Northwest author of Potluck: a community on the edge of wilderness) on Friday.

We are proud to serve such a wonderful community and want to take this time to thank you for your support. With that said, let us leave you with some fun facts about the Corvallis Public Library:

• Last year, 59% of the people in Benton County had registered library cards
• We circulated over 1,653,736 items
• We had over 842,817 visitors
• We held over 1,383 programs, with over 35,399 attendees
• We answered over 241,059 reference transactions/questions
• Our Friends of the Library has been hosting Random Reviews since 1992 and since 2007, the reviews are available via podcasts for anyone to hear, anytime, anyplace
• We have over 320 wonderful volunteers who donated 16,043 hours of time in 2011

Here’s to a great week, celebrating the library, and celebrating our wonderful community!

Posted by Lindy, a second floor librarian

There is a lot going on at the Library this month, and we’re glad to bring you a diverse mix of  informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining programs across the month of April.

	This Thursday at 7:00 pm, Karen Spears Zacharias will discuss her new book A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder about the abuse and murder of Karly Sheehan.  Karly was a three year old living in Corvallis, and Karen hopes the book will spur a community discussion on what we can do to recognize and prevent child abuse. Grass Roots Bookstore will be selling books and donating 100% of the net proceeds to ABC House.
	The Crescendo Show Saturday, April 7th at 7:00 pm.  Looking for something fun to do this Saturday night?  Join us for a free all-ages energetic and eclectic folk rock concert by Corvallis-based  Crescendo Show.  The quartet is celebrating the release of their new CD and are excited to bring you their melodic blend of guitar, bass, accordion, and vocals. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
	To celebrate National Library Week April 9 – 14th, the second floor librarians are joining the fun planned by the youth services department.  Activities for adults include a Star Wars trivia and costume contest.  A different Star Wars trivia question will be posted at the second floor reference desk each day from Monday through Saturday.  A prize winner will be drawn from the correct answers. Come in costume to the second floor reference desk between 1 and 3 pm on Saturday the 14th and get your photo taken for Facebook.  Photos will be posted on Tuesday and the costume with the most “likes” wins a prize. The Storm Troopers will also be visiting the Library on Saturday between 1-3 wearing movie quality costumes–come say hello!
	Wednesday, April 11th 12:00 – 1:00.  The book for this month’s Random Review is Country Driving: A Journey from Farm to Factory by Peter Hessler.  Hessler spent seven years driving from one end of China to another, and chronicles the changes the car has brought to the country. Reviewed by Staci Simonich, Professor of Chemistry at OSU.
	Friday, April 13th at 7:30 Washington author Ana Maria Spagna will read from her book Potluck which hones in on the everyday gatherings that, over time, define a community: a makeshift wedding, an art gallery opening, a farewell potluck, a work party, a campfire, a political caucus, a funeral. “What connects us?” Spagna asks, and she reveals, again and again, the gift of community–easy and uneasy, deep and enduring and essential.  Co-sponsored by OSU Press and Grass Roots Bookstore.
	Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30. This month’s book club selection is We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates and is a special facilitated meeting in honor of the author’s visit to Corvallis this May.  Please note we are starting at 6:30 instead of 7:00 this month.  Please join us for a lively discussion led by two graduate students in OSU’s Creative Writing Department.

Please contact us with questions about any of these events.  We hope to see  in the Library!

Posted by Alex, a second floor librarian

Storm Crowd by JD Hancock on Flickr

In celebration of National Library Week on April 9 – 14, the library will host a series of Star Wars events for kids, teens, and adults.  We expect a big crowd from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday the 14th, when the library will be boarded by Storm Troopers from the 501st Legion Cloud City Garrison .

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2011's most circulated book @CBCPL

Understandably, it’s a bit late to be doing a reflective post about 2011, but better late than never, I say!

What was popular at the CBCPL in 2011? Amongst the favorites: Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published trilogy of gritty crime novels; books related to food, be it a manual or a memoir;  historical fiction set in other countries; fast-paced and suspenseful legal thrillers; biographies about an Egyptian queen and an American football and war hero; Malcolm Gladwell’s compilation of essays and research into the common factors to success; a breakdown of events behind the recent financial crisis; and an annual favorite, detailing the hiking trails in Corvallis.

Based on circulation statistics, the following were the top ten, most circulated, books at the library.

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In 2005, Karly Sheehan died in Corvallis as the result of abuse at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. Writer Karen Spears Zacharias knew Karly and her family, and with growing horror she began to investigate the details behind Karly’s death.

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Tomorrow, March 23rd, is the 1 year anniversary of Elizabeth Taylor’s death.  From a mutation giving her exceptional eyelashes to her tumultuous and numbered marriages to her addictions and poor health, many of us may know more about this icon’s personal life than her actual work.  She contributed much to AIDS research and at a time when that was still considered a taboo disease for a star to advocate for.  Her obsession with jewelry brought in a record-breaking $137 million at the Christie’s auction where her jewelry collection was sold after her death.

Many of you out there probably already know all of this about the iconic star, but there’s a ton of stuff I bet you don’t know about her that only some of the best biographies cover.  Here’s a quick list of the top 3 bios the library has about the star, a few of her best movies, and some great websites to help you celebrate the memory of the violet-eyed lady:

BOOKS & DVDS

Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (DVD)

Elizabeth

Father of the Bride (DVD)

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century

How To Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood

Little Women (DVD)

National Velvet (DVD)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (DVD)

WEBSITES

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor
Features a few pieces of jewelry from the Christie’s auction. You can actually see every piece auctioned and what it sold for here, here, and here.

Elizabeth Taylor
Find out more about and see pictures of Taylor’s place of burial and read a bio of her life

Elizabeth Taylor: 1932-2011
A timeline of Taylor’s career complete with pictures and videos

Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79
Taylor’s obituary

Elizabeth Taylor: FBI Files
“These files detail multiple extortion attempts against Taylor that the Bureau investigated over the years.”  Kind of strange, but I thought this might be of interest to Taylor fans; complete with scanned letters and memorabilia from seeming fans that usually either threatened or cruelly insulted her.

Elizabeth Taylor: Rare & Unpublished Photos of a Hollywood Legend
From Life magazine

Elizabeth Taylor’s Tempestuous Love Affair
Video of a 60 Minutes interview with Taylor and Richard Burton in 1970

Posted by Bonnie, a second floor librarian

Empty Frames On Wall by chrisroll

Start with Herb & Dorothy, an award-winning 2008 documentary, which “tells the story of a postal clerk and a librarian who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means.” (from the DVD case)  Read the rest of this entry »

As an amateur vegetable gardener with all of my experience gardening in Texas, starting a garden here in Corvallis is like gardening in a different world.  There the soil was rocky and sandy and the weather so dry that watering was a major issue.  Here I’ve discovered that the soil in my yard is clay and the weather so wet it was a while before I could even dig in.  So, I very much feel like a complete newbie when it comes to gardening in the Pacific Northwest.  Recently, I’ve picked up several books here at the library perfect for someone like me or anyone new to gardening.  This is definitely the time to be starting your summer gardens, so come by the library, check out the perfect guide, and get gardening.

	Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long By Eliot Coleman With Austin, Texas’ year-round harvests being no problem at all, I’ve definitely wondered about the possibility of a four season harvest in my new climate. I didn’t have to look any further than Eliot Coleman’s book. Here Coleman has included just about every tip and trick imaginable for making your harvest last all year long. His strategies are reasonable, cost-effective, and very smart. Even if you don’t really care about making your harvest last all year long, this book surely has some insights or tips you can use.
	Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades By Steve Solomon This is truly the ultimate gardening guide for this region. Everything is included from soil preparation to harvesting. The level of detail and specificity to this area make it an absolute must have for anyone gardening vegetables in Corvallis. Try his other book too, Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food In Hard Times.
	The Resilent Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times By Carol Deppe Because Deppe is from Corvallis, I bet many of you have already heard of this one, but I just discovered it. Deppe addresses gardening in unstable weather conditions and environments and points to five crops that store well and are versatile. She recommends plant varieties perfect for Corvallis and avoids crops those with gluten intolerance do not eat. Her writing style is engaging and full of personal anecdotes making for one of the best gardening books I’ve ever read.
	Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens By Barbara Pleasant This book is absolutely perfect for a beginning vegetable gardener. The plans included are very detailed including nice diagrams.  Each plan starts with year 1 and then slowly builds up to year 3 making these plans as simple or as complex as you’d like them to be.  Also included are a great number of excellent tips on organic gardening practices including insect and weed management.  For anyone looking at their yard or garden space and wondering where to start, this book will set you up with a precise plan.

Posted by Bonnie, a second floor librarian

You may have noticed some new faces at the second floor reference desk.  In the last year,  four members of the second floor librarians have either retired or moved on to different positions.  After many months of vacancies we are happy to welcome three new librarians!

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