2013

It's That Time of Year
December 13th 2013

The sound systems in supermarkets and shopping malls are blaring Christmas music, your neighbors have extra lights that are well on their way to frying the local electrical grid and you're trying to figure out an appropriate gift for the uncle who last year gave you From Prairies to Peaks: A History of the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service, 1905-2012.

Well, maybe you would like to avoid Yuletide this year. Maybe you're not in the mood for wreaths and eggnog. Take heart... Read Post

StoryCorps at SPL!
November 25th 2013
Somerville Public Library is one of ten public libraries in the United States to be selected as a StoryCorps @ Your Library pilot site. Through this oral history project, we aim to record the stories, thoughts, and ideas of a diverse mix of 30-40 Somerville teens. Teens may be interviewed by or interview friends, family members, mentors, etc. Trained community facilitators will guide the interview process and handle all technical aspects for a comfortable interview experience. For more... Read Post
Now for Something Completely Different
November 18th 2013

Somerville is a community of makers. It's home to the Artisan's Asylum, a community and school for hobbyists, inventors and tinkerers. It's a place where imaginative historical markers can spring up overnight and robots will soon roam the streets. So today's post is a nod to that Übermaker, Leonardo da Vinci. Among the many inventions Leonardo envisioned was the "viola organista:" a piano combined with a cello. No one has ever made, let alone played, a viola organista.... Read Post

Muslim Journeys
November 15th 2013
Last night's Muslim Journeys event was great. Harvard Divinity School professor Leila Ahmed participated in a discussion of her book, A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America.  We had a good turnout, and everyone who participated in the discussion had interesting questions and shared well-informed opinions. The conversation ranged from  the history of this highly symbolic garment to the differences in religious practice and culture in various Islamic nations... Read Post
Classics of Terror
October 30th 2013

In honor of Halloween, some denizens of the Interwebs are indulging their list-making mania by compiling lists of scary books or movies. Below is a brief list of my own: six works—three books, three movies—that were created with one purpose in mind: to scare the bejesus out of us.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
This 1959 novel is the haunted house story. Hill House is a long-abandoned country residence with an unsettling reputation. An investigator of psychic... Read Post

Wrapping Up Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month
October 9th 2013
This week marks the conclusion of one of our various Heritage Months that are celebrated throughout the year: Hispanic Heritage Month. The U.S. government has recognized National Hispanic Heritage Month as the days between September 15 and October 15.  This celebration started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, but it wasn’t until 1988 that was expanded to span 30 days. This designated period commemorates the anniversary of independence from Spain of various Latin American countries, such as... Read Post
Whitey Bulger
August 12th 2013
James Whitey Bulger Captured

It's official: Whitey Bulger has been found guilty - of a whole lot of stuff - and will presumably be spending the rest of his life behind bars.  Many of us would like to forget all about the notorious thug but, human nature being what it is, a fair number of us want to know all there is to know about Whitey and his doings.  To that end, here's a list of relevant books available through the Minuteman Library Network.

Whitey: the Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss by Dick Lehr... Read Post
"I Made That"
July 15th 2013
This month we're happy to have Somerville High School juniors and seniors at the library doing research on the history of Assembly Square. They're employees of a collaboration between Federal Realty, Artists for Humanity, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Somerville. "Based on what we find out, we're going to make suggestions for a sculpture, " said SHS senior Larry Barnes. The sculpture will in some way embody the history of Assembly Square and will placed in... Read Post
It's Too Darn Hot
June 25th 2013
The mercury's breaking 90 today and it's going to be almost as warm through the weekend.  Here are some tips to make the next few days a little more comfortable. Cooking can make an already hot kitchen unbearable, so check out this link to Mark Bittman's 101 recipes ready in fewer than ten minutes. Longtime readers of this blog probably recall that I've posted this link before, but there's always something on it I haven't tried, and I'm assuming the same is true of you. You should also browse... Read Post
A Library for Everyone
June 12th 2013
If you come to the Central Library next week, expect to see a good bit of moving and shifting of shelves. The plan is to expand the spaces between shelves to 36 inches to better accommodate patrons in wheelchairs. In the meantime, if you have any difficulty finding books or other materials, please ask a librarian. Please bear with us during this temporary disruption that will make the library more accessible to all the members of our community.
Somerville Reads!
June 11th 2013
The Art Forger  by B. A. Shapiro  is our book for this year's Somerville Reads. Inspired by the 1990 Gardner Museum heist, the Art Forger is  the story of Claire Roth, a struggling young artist who makes a meager living painting reproductions. Her luck seemingly changes when an art dealer offers a very large fee and a one-woman show at a hip gallery in return for copying a painting that bears an unsettling resemblance to one of the missing Gardner works.  Is it authentic? And why is someone... Read Post
Memorial Day
May 26th 2013
Today is the day the nation remembers those who have died serving in the armed forces.  Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday began to honor those men who had died for the Union in the Civil War.  Time has a brief history of the holiday  here. If you're interested in learning more about the grim realities of military service, I recommend War by Sebastian Junger.  The award-winning author of A Perfect Storm and A Death in Belmont accompanied a platoon during a fifteenth-month tour of... Read Post
"Never Forget the Weirdos..."
May 20th 2013
During lunch I was reading a book industry newsletter and came across this marvelous quote from Sarah McNally, a NYC bookshop owner: "Never forget the wonks, and the weirdos, and the people who will be delighted by this book that they never could even have imagined could exist and they will find on your shelf." I love that. And it sums up my philosophy of library collections. Not every book on a shelf has to be popular. An individual book doesn't take up that much space. So what if it doesn't... Read Post
Yesterday
April 16th 2013
We're all stunned and saddened by yesterday's bombings at the Boston Marathon.  The attacks were cruel and senseless.  The only bright moment yesterday was when people ran towards the blasts to apply tourniquets or help people on to their feet. It's nice when it's possible to be proud of human beings. Actually helping others is one of the best things someone can do in a situation like this, not  just for the inherent decency of doing so, but also because it reminds us we're not helpless. The... Read Post
Op-Ed by the Mayor
March 15th 2013
Our thanks to the mayor for recognizing the essential and ever-changing role libraries play in the life of this city: http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/36202  

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