Four Letter Words

No, not those four letter words ... This is the title of a book by Michelle Arnot about the importance of words with four letters in solving crossword puzzles. Who knew? Now I am not a big fan of crosswords but they are supposed to be good for keeping your brain functioning...so I might just have to give one a try. Lots of puzzle solving tips and tricks are outlined in the book. Our call number for this book is 793.732 ARN.

What's In Your Wallet?

The August issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine (page 168) has a little blurb that says: "Forget the credit cards - the most important piece of plastic in your wallet is your library card. People who live well and live long tend to be avid, curious readers. Brush your card off and put it to use today."

September in August???

I wanted to get a book club going and now Harriett Herman has volunteered to do just that! The club will hold their first meeting on Tuesday, August 26th from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the library board room. The book selection for August is "Septembers of Shiraz" by Dalia Sofer. I want to offer a big thank you to the Friends of the Library who have purchased three additional copies of the book. So, - - check it out - - read it - - and join us for the first of, hopefully, many enjoyable afternoons discussing wonderful books with like minded souls.

Catch The Reading Bug

Our summer reading program is in full swing - - - Next Wednesday Smiley the clown will entertain everyone starting at 2:30p.m. Our teen activities continue this week with the making of dream catchers. And remember, we are waiving fines for every child who signs up for the summer reading program! What a great deal - so join us and catch the reading bug in Banning!

Murals Are Coming

Last week the Banning Mural Council approved renderings for a hip, urban mural for the walls that face the parking lot. Joshua Alce, our muralist, is planning to paint the murals in late August.
Jose Clemente Orozco, a famous Mexican muralist said (translated), "The most natural, purest and strongest form of painting is the mural. It is also the most generous, since it cannot be turned into an object for personal profit; it cannot be hidden for the benefit of the privileged few. It is for the people. It is for everyone." I couldn't agree more. This will be a wonderful addition to our building and I can't wait to see it come to life.

The Hills Are Alive

...With the sound of music. Or they will be soon. The Banning Public Library recently purchased a large number of music CD's. They will be available for check out starting May5th. There will be a $1.00 charge per CD to check these items out. The money will be going directly to our Friends of the Banning Library group - and they will be doing great things for the library with the money.

Arbor Day Poem

Friday, April 25 is Arbor Day, and April is National Poetry Month. In honor of those two convergent events, here is an oldie but goodie: Trees by Joyce Kilmer --

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.

The New 3 R's

The 3 R's used to be reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. (Maybe they should have thrown spelling in there too...) Today, in celebration and acknowledgment of Earth Day 2008, the 3 R's are: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Happy Earth Day and do what you can to make the world a cleaner, greener place.

Catalog Now On-Line

Our catalog is now on-line. That means you can access the Banning Public Library catalog 24 hours a day. We are in the process of getting the Cabazon Branch Library books into our catalog. This will make it easier to share our collections, thus making a wider variety of materials available to Banning Library District patrons.

Good Day To Make A Mistake

On March 30, 1858 Hyman Lipman patented the pencil with an eraser. Until then pencil and eraser were separate. We take this convenience for granted today, but amazingly enough he earned $100,000 for this simple invention. This information comes from Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, one of the many books in our reference collection. We are in the process of updating this collection so feel free to browse and I'm sure you will discover many interesting facts.

Philo Farnsworth Would Be Happy

Philo who??? Philo Farnsworth, according to a children's book by Ellen Sturm Niz, invented the television. Who knew? Anyway, I suspect that he would be glad that the screenwriter's strike is over. But it will still be a while before your favorite TV shows get their new episodes "in the can". So I am thinking that this would be a good time to turn off the reruns and catch up on a few books that you have been wanting to read for a while but just never found the time. (The book Philo Farnsworth and the Television and it is available at our Cabazon Branch Library.)

It Just Keeps Getting Better ...

We now have 14 internet connected computers for the public at the Banning Public Library. The two latest are "Express" use computers, that is, no check out is required and you can use it for 15 minutes - perfect for a quick check of your email! And for those of you with laptops, don't forget that we have wireless capabilities here too.

I Probably Shouldn't Admit This But ...

I probably shouldn't admit this but the book I am reading now is called "How To Talk About Books You Haven't Read" by Pierre Bayard. In truth, I am just skimming the book. And the author is perfectly O.K. with that. One of his points is that there are so many books out there, and so little time, that you have to be selective and realistic about what you can and should read. I'll second that! So I think I will finish (skimming) his book tonight and move onto the five or six other books that I have by my bedside!

Here If You Need Me

Of course, I am here if you need me, but I choose that title for this blog entry because I have a bit of a commute so I have been listening to audio books during the drive. I am currently listening to "Here If You Need Me" written and read by Kate Braestrup. It is the story of Kate's life as a chaplain to the Maine State Wardens - game wardens, not prison wardens, and how she choose this path after the death of her State Trooper husband. I am only on the second disc and I have already laughed and cried.

We are constantly expanding our audio book collection - so check them out and enjoy the experience of listening to a book.

Happiness in the New Year

It's the 12th day of Christmas and I have been saying "Happy New Year" to everyone for the last week. But if you need help putting the "happy" in Happy New Year you might want to check out a book called Stumbling On Happiness by Daniel Todd Gilbert.

I'm looking forward to taking a look at a new book, The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. It discusses the topic of happiness from a global perspective. It is subtitled "One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World". The book is on order and it should be available in about a week. (You might want to place a hold so you will get it when it comes in.)
So keep smiling and - - - Happy New Year!!!