Reading Between the Lines

The Broome County Public Library invites area residents to a Reading Between the Lines book discussion series entitled “Revolution and Rebellion in Early America,” which will begin on Tuesday, September 14, 6:00pm. Participants in this series will read works of non-fiction and literature, and the group discussion will be led by a humanities scholar. The books will be supplied by the program at no cost to participants. The Reading Between the Lines Series is funded by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities, and it is designed to promote lively, informed discussion about humanities themes and to strengthen the relationship between the humanities and the general public.

Reading Between the Lines book discussions will take place on the second Tuesday of each month:
September 14, 6:00-7:30pm
October 12, 6:00-7:30pm
November 9, 6:00-7:30pm
December 14, 6:00-7:30pm

Registration is required. For more information, or to register, please call the Information Services Department at 607-778-6451.

Help Fill the Bus with Books!

The Oakdale Mall and Citadel Broadcasting Company are holding a book drive for the Broome County Public Library. Help us fill the bus by bringing your new or gently used books to the Oakdale Mall, August 14 through August 28. When you donate a book, you'll be entered to win an Oakdale Mall gift certificate for $150, $75, or $25!

On Saturdays, August 14, 21, and 28, 11am to 3pm, the bus in the mall parking lot will be open to accept books. At other times, books can be dropped off at the mall office during regular mall hours. Complete rules and regulations for the gift card drawing are available at the mall office.

POSTPONED - Author Visit with Mary Bright Carr

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS. We are hoping to reschedule, but a new date has not yet been set.

The Broome County Public Library invites you to join us as we welcome local author Mary Bright Carr as she discusses memory and traumatic experience in her new novel With The Tide on Thursday, August 5, 6:00-7:30pm. Ms. Carr is a retired SUNY Oneonta professor in the field of cognitive psychology with a primary research interest in memory, and she has published two non-fiction books in this area. This reading and book discussion will take place in the Library’s Exhibit Room. For more information, please call the Library’s Information Services Department at 607-778-6451.

Knitting Group to Host Author Adrienne Martini

The Broome County Public Library Knitting Group will host a visit with Adrienne Martini, author of Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously, on Wednesday, June 16, 6:00pm. Ms. Martini, an Oneonta resident, will discuss her book, which details her yearlong quest to knit a Mary Tudor sweater, an incredibly complicated sweater design requiring advanced knitting techniques. This event will take place in the Library's Exhibit Room, and it is free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Library’s Information Services Department at 607-778-6456.

Library to Host Author Bryan Davis

The Broome County Public Library invites young people and their parents to join us in a visit with author Bryan Davis on Thursday, January 14, at 6:30pm. Mr. Davis is the author of the Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series, contemporary/fantasy books for young adults. During his visit at the library, he will be sharing his insights about the fantasy genre and its importance for young readers.

This program is intended for youth ages 10 and older, along with their parents. It will take place in the library’s Exhibit Room. For more information, please contact Sarah at 607-778-3564 or teen@bclibrary.info.

Night Navigation: A Visit with Author Ginnah Howard

The Broome County Public Library is pleased to announce the visit of author Ginnah Howard on Thursday, November 5, at 6:00pm, in the Library's Exhibit Room.

Ms. Howard will be sharing excerpts from her debut novel, Night Navigation, which tells the story of a mother and son who are both struggling with the son's drug addiction. After the reading, there will be time for a question-and-answer session with the author.

For more information about the author, visit http://www.ginnahhoward.com/.
For more information about this event, please call 607-778-6451.

Reviews of Night Navigation:

"The strength of this story pulls Howard's readers along, unable to turn away from a fierce mother and son who are determined to negotiate the future without having to 'detour around every moment of their past.'"

- New York Times Book Review, July 5, 2009, an Editor's Choice

"Ginnah Howard's raw, vivid account of addiction and codependency unflinchingly explores the vast darkness of guilt and despair. The stark, urgent voices...ache with anger and love, fear and hope. Howard's ability to dive so deep into the human psyche is a testament to her grace and compassion as a writer. Night Navigation will leave you breathless--a haunting, riveting debut."

- Kiara Brinkman, author of Up High in the Trees

America's National Parks

Did you get a chance to watch any of Ken Burns' documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea on PBS last week? I was able to watch a few of the episodes, and I was so interested by the history of the parks. It was amazing to me to learn about the passion and hard work of those who wanted to save beautiful places that were important to them.

When I did a search in our catalog for National Parks, I was surprised and delighted to see that a number of libraries in the Four County Library System own the companion book to the film. (Of course, I put it on hold right away, and I'm enjoying reading it!)

I've had a couple of patrons ask me for books about people they learned about through the series, and although we don't have information about all of them, we do have materials by and/or about the following notable people mentioned in the film:
- John Muir
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Horace Albright
- Shelton Johnson

If the film inspired you to do some exploring of the parks themselves, we've got a few series that might be of interest to you:
- Frommer's National Parks guides
- Fodor's National Parks guides
- Adventures in America's Western Parks (DVD series)
- The World's Greatest Parks (VHS series)
- National Park Guide series

There are many more books about the National Parks and their history! You can search our catalog to find others that are in our system, or you can stop by the library, and we'd be glad to help you find what you're looking for.

Teen Read Week at the Broome County Public Library

The Broome County Public Library will be celebrating teens and reading during Teen Read Week, October 19-24. We're joining thousands of other libraries and schools across the country who are encouraging teens to read just for the fun of it!



We have two ways for you to join in our celebration:


Teen Read Week Café
Monday, October 19, 6:00pm—Exhibit Room (Second Floor)
Help us to kick off Teen Read Week by enjoying some sweet snacks and hot chocolate! There will be crafts and games available, as well as a chance to share a reading of a favorite poem or short story. For more info, or to sign up, you can contact Sarah at 607-778-3564 or teen@bclibrary.info. (Signing up is not required, but it sure would be helpful!)


Raffle: Read, Review, WIN!
Here’s how it works:
1. Read a book.
2. Fill out a book review form with your name, email, phone number, and at least three sentences with your thoughts on the book. (Review forms will be available between October 12 and October 24.)
3. Put your completed review form in the box on the teen materials shelf by October 24.
4. If you’d like, you may repeat steps 1-3 (up to a maximum of 10 entries).
5. Wait for a call to see if you’re one of the winners. (Winners will be drawn at random on October 26.)

Prizes will include gift certificates for River Read Books in downtown Binghamton.

Fall Book Reviews

The Friends of the Broome County Public Library have announced the dates for the Fall 2009 Book Reviews. The Reviews will take place on Wednesdays, 12:00-1:15pm, in the Library's Decker Room. Lunch may be purchased at Porfolio's Cafe, which is located in the rotunda of the library, across from the Decker Room.



Wednesday, September 23, 12:00-1:15pm

The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina by Frank Rich

Reviewer: David Rossie, Press & Sun Bulletin Writer




Wednesday, September 30, 12:00-1:15pm

As Time Goes By: Boomerang Marriages, Serial Spouses, Throwback Couples, and Other Romantic Adventures in an Age of Longevity by Abigail Trafford

Reviewer: DeWitt Henricks, Binghamton University Adjunct Lecturer in Communications




Wednesday, October 7, 12:00-1:15pm

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Reviewer: Gerald Smith, Broome County Historian





Wednesday, October 14, 12:00-1:15pm

Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage by Jeff Benedict

Reviewers: Gerald Loy and Tom Rossi, Professors, Broome Community College




Wednesday, October 21, 12:00-1:15pm

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD

Reviewer: Catherine Stuckart, Binghamton attorney





Wednesday, October 28, 12:00-1:15pm

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Reviewer: Rawn Spearman, Retired IBM Employee, GED Teacher





Wednesday, November 4, 12:00-1:15pm

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewer: Cheryl Ebert, Trustee of Broome County Public Library, Retired Teacher in the Johnson City School District





Substitute

Retribution: The Battle for Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings

Reviewer: Norman J. Sweeney, Chairman of Book Reviews, Friends of the Library, Superintendent Emeritus of the Chenango Forks School District

More Books Made into Movies

Here are a few more upcoming movies that are based on books.

(Click on the pictures for links to the movie websites and the books in our catalog.)

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (release date September 25) - based on the 1999 book by David Foster Wallace

Coco Before Chanel (release date September 25) - based on L'irreguliere by Edmonde Charles-Roux - English translation (Chanel) by Nancy Amphoux

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (release date October 23) - based on the 2008 book by Rebecca Miller

The Vampire's Assistant (release date October 23) - based on the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan

The Box (release date November 6) - based on the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson

Disney's A Christmas Carol (release date November 6) - based on the book by Charles Dickens

The Men Who Stare at Goats (release date November 6) - based on the 2004 book by Jon Ronson

Fantastic Mr. Fox (release date November 13) - based on the book by Roald Dahl


The Blind Side (release date November 20) - based on the 2006 book by Michael Lewis


The Twilight Saga: New Moon (release date November 20) - based on the 2006 book by Stephenie Meyer


The Road (release date November 25) - based on the 2006 book by Cormac McCarthy


Invictus (release date December 11) - based on Playing the Enemy by John Carlin


The Lovely Bones (release date December 11) - based on the 2002 book by Alice Sebold

In Memoriam: Ted Kennedy

Last night Senator Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy passed away of complications related to a malignant tumor in his brain. He was 77 years old.

Kennedy had served in the US Senate since 1962. He was known for his strong liberal convictions, but also for his willingness to make partnerships with his conservative colleagues.

From NPR.org:
"Kennedy was passionate about his beliefs, a tireless worker for his causes, and he loved fighting the good fight."

If you are interested in learning more, the Broome County Public Library has a number of books by and about Senator Kennedy:


Additionally, the materials below are available at other libraries in the Four County Library System.