|
NEWSLETTER
January 2008
Volume 5, Number 1
New: Grolier Online Encyclopedia
Presidential Campaign 2008
Magazine Feature: Music
Foreign Film Feature: Fraulein
Film Feature: Waitress
Main Library Orientation Tour
Literacy Volunteer Orientations
Foreign Film Feature: Dreams of Dust
Concert at the Crane: Suites, Sonatas & Standards for Flute & Guitar
Children's Sculpture Dedication
Let's Talk About It Reading & Discussion Series: Neighbors, The World Next Door
English Talk Time Begins
Film Feature: The Simpsons Movie
Concert at the Crane: Bharatanatyam Dance Recital
On the Road @your library: Elderhostel
National Issues Forum: The Energy Problem
January Computer Classes: Internet Basics & Digital Photo Editing
January Book Discussions & Drop-in Groups
January Exhibit: Photography by Michael Kullen
January Events for Children
What's New in the Library Collection
Staff Picks: What We're Reading
Calendar of Events
Friends of the Library
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Back Issues
Contact Us
NEW! Grolier Online Resource Center
Take a few moments to explore this new online learning and research tool for grades two and higher. Grolier Online features a variety of databases plus instant access to an interactive atlas, five dictionaries, and two thesauri with instant word look-up and audio pronunciation. Searchable databases include:
- Encyclopedia Americana: in-depth information for older students and adults
- Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia: quick reference for middle school and higher
- The New Book of Knowledge: reference & current events for elementary and higherv
- The New Book of Popular Science: science & technology for middle and high school
- Lands and Peoples: countries, cultures & current events for middle and high school
- Amazing Animals of the World: for elementary and higher
- America the Beautiful: state-by-state history and current events for elementary and middle school
You may access this new resource from the Children's Homework page or the General Reference Databases page on our website. Use your library card to login. For assistance, please call 617-376-2411.
Presidential Campaign 2008
Find out about the issues and the candidates in the upcoming primary election on our new Campaign 2008 web page. A range of informative websites are featured, from government agencies, nonpartisan organizations, and media outlets such as the New York Times.
Magazine Feature: Music
The Main Library stocks the following magazines of special interest to musicians, music lovers and audiophiles:
Down Beat
Guitar Player
Rolling Stone
Sound and Vision
Vibe
You may browse current and older issues of magazines in the Main Library Richardson building and at the branch libraries. Magazines may be checked out for two weeks and renewed for another two weeks if no other holds are waiting. If the issue you want is not available, it's easy to search and place holds in the library catalog. Go to our Catalog Help page to find out how--or just ask a librarian for help.
Film Feature: Fraulein
Attend a free screening of this recently released Swiss film on Thursday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library. This movie was originally scheduled for December 13 but was rescheduled due to weather.
Reza left Belgrade more than 25 years ago to seek a new life in Zurich. Now in her fifties, she has completely detached herself from the past. She owns a cafeteria and maintains an orderly, joyless existence. Ana, a young, itinerant woman who has fled Sarajevo, breezes into the cafeteria looking for work. Reza hires her and their relationship will change both women in ways they never anticipated.
"A remarkably affecting work that doesn't go for easy sentiment"--Jay Weissberg, Variety
Although this film is not subject to rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, it is not recommended for ages under 17 without parental permission. Films for the series are obtained through the library's membership in Film Movement, the exclusive distributor of curator-selected films from the world's top film festivals, including Cannes and Sundance.
Film Feature: Waitress
Join us for a screening of the 2007 film Waitress on Thursday, December 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Set in a small Southern town, Waitress revolves around waitress Jenna (Felicity's Keri Russell), who works at Joe's Pie Diner. Jenna is the pastry genius who makes Joe's joint shine. Her co-workers include the forthright Becky (Cheryl Hines from Curb Your Enthusiasm) and insecure Dawn. All three have man trouble, but Jenna has it the worst.
"Lovely, touching and infused with life...a perfect, difficult-to-achieve balance of enchantment and plausibility...If Waitress were more strenuously uplifting, it might be labeled a feel-good movie, but it isn't that. It's just a movie that leaves you feeling good"--The New York Times
Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Main Library Orientation Tour
Take a guided walk through the library at a free orientation tour of the Main Library at 40 Washington St. on Saturday, January 5 at 10:00 a.m. Chinese interpretation will be provided. All ages are welcome to join the orientation tours.
Volunteer Literacy Tutor Orientation
The Library's literacy program, LVM-Quincy, is offering two orientation sessions for people interested in becoming basic reading tutors on Tuesday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 15 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Main Library. LVM-Quincy provides free, one-on-one tutoring in basic reading and writing to adults on the South Shore. Orientation is provided twice a year and gives potential tutors information about the basic reading program so that you can decide if the program is compatible with your skills and interests and whether you want to make this volunteer commitment.
For more information or to register for an orientation, call 617-376-1314, email quliteracy@ocln.org or fill out an online application (select "Volunteer" scroll to the bottom of that page and select "Application").
Concert at the Crane: Suites, Sonatas & Standards for Flute & Guitar
Guitarist Mark Leighton and flutist Peter H. Bloom will perform an eclectic concert of chamber music from diverse lands and eras and jazz standards from the Great American Songbook on Sunday, January 13 at 3:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
The program will include Grand Duo for Flute and Guitar by Mauro Guiliani, the Italian virtuoso guitarist who was an important member of the Viennese musical elite alongside Beethoven and Rossini, as well as music of French composers Francis Poulenc and Jacques Ibert, Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, and Brazil's Heitor Villa-Lobos, plus favorites from the Great American Songbook by legendary tunesmiths such as Gershwin, Ellington, Harold Arlen, and George Shearing.
Mark Leighton is a classical and jazz guitarist known for his wide-ranging repertoire. He has performed as a solo recitalist and ensemble player across New England. Mr. Leighton is a regular member of Copley Chamber Players. He has served on the Applied Music Faculty at Colby College since 1981 and also teaches at Eastern Nazarene College. Mr. Leighton has been Artistic Director of First Night Quincy for more than a decade and was previously director of the Beechwood Music School in Quincy. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Mr. Leighton studied with David Leisner and Sharon Isbin, among others.
Peter Bloom is a soloist and ensemble flutist who has performed across the U.S. and appears on more than 20 CDs from labels such as Sony Classical, Newport Classics and Dorian. The Boston Globe called his playing "a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength," while Jazz Improv praised his "exquisite melody." Mr. Bloom has given solo recitals from Boston's Jordan Hall and to Beverly Hills, and he has appeared nationally with classical and jazz ensembles such as the Aston Magna Festival Orchestra, Ensemble Chaconne, Columbia's Musick, and the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. He was a winner of the American Musicological Society's Noah Greenberg Award for his performance of 19th century American music.
This free performance for all ages is sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Children's Sculpture Dedication
Everyone is invited to a reception and formal dedication of
a new children's sculpture at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January
13 at the Main Library.
The sculpture, entitled Open the Window of the Imagination-Read!, was created to inspire children to read books that enrich their own imaginations and lead them to a lifetime of learning through great literature. According to Quincy artist Daniel A. Myers III, who created and donated the sculpture, the work is intended to "engage children of all ages in a work of art to stimulate their talents in the literary and visual arts". The sculpture, installed in the Main Library Children's Room, depicts a brother reading a Book of Wonder to his younger sister, accompanied by their dog and a regal Frog Prince.
Myers, a member of the Quincy Art Association, specializes in human figure drawing, painting, and sculpture. A continuing education student at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut, he has won numerous awards for his work at Quincy Art Association shows.
Foreign Film Feature: Dreams of Dust
Attend a free screening of this recently released film on Thursday, January 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
Mocktar, a Nigerian peasant, comes looking for work in Essakane,
a dusty gold mine in Northeast Burkina Faso, Africa, where
he hopes to forget the past that haunts him. In Essakane,
he quickly finds out, the gold rush ended twenty years before,
and the inhabitants of this wasteland and strange timelessness
manage to exist simply from force of habit. The beautiful
Coumba, however, is still courageously struggling to raise
her daughter after the death of her family. Mocktar will soon
be fighting not only to survive, but also to provide a better
future for this mother and her child.
"...hypnotic widescreen photography...which is well written and directed...Salgues' screenplay is perfectly crafted"--Variety
Although this film is not subject to rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, it is not recommended for ages under 17 without parental permission. Films for the series are obtained through the library's membership in Film Movement, the exclusive distributor of curator-selected films from the world's top film festivals, including Cannes and Sundance.
Let's Talk About It Reading & Discussion Series
This five-part exploration of Jewish literature and culture concludes on Monday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
 The final session will explore Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen, a rollicking coming-of-age tale about Mona Chang, whose Chinese immigrant parents move their family to Westchester County in New York. Jen mines the battlefields of adolescence and assimilation to produce a novel that is as charming as it is relevant.
Discussion will be led by Dr. Jeslyn Medoff, Adjunct Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. For more information or to register, call 617-376-1305 or e-mail letstalkseries@gmail.com. Copies of each book will be available at the library for all registered participants.
The Thomas Crane Library is one of over 250 libraries nationwide receiving grants to host the Let's Talk About It series developed by Nextbook and the American Library Association.
English Talk Time Begins
Would you or someone you know like an opportunity to practice your oral English skills in an informal and supportive setting? Beginning on January 19, the Library is offering a ten-week Saturday morning English conversation group at the Main Library, for advanced beginner and intermediate level English speakers. To find out more or sign up, please call 617-376-3295 or e-mail quenglishtalk@ocln.org.
Film Feature: The Simpsons Movie
Join us for a screening of the 2007 comedy The Simpsons Movie on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library. When Homer Simpson adopts a pig destined for Krusty's slaughterhouse, it triggers an environmental catastrophe, forcing the government to seal the town of Springfield into a dome and destroy the city. While the family manages to escape and flee to Alaska, they eventually decide to return and help save the city in classic Simpson fashion.
"It's a very funny movie, loaded with dumb jokes that are often as funny as the clever ones, and full of the anarchic, generous, good-natured humor that is the show's enduring signature."--New York Times
This movie is rated PG-13. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Concert at the Crane: Bharatanatyam Dance Recital
Join us for a free performance of the classical Indian dance called Bharatanatyam will be presented at the Main Library on Sunday, January 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Dance in India is an age-old tradition, and used as a vehicle of worship and communication. Bharatanatyam is one of the most subtle, sophisticated and graceful styles of dance art in the world. The dancer is considered a worshiper of the Divine. The word bha represents bhavam or facial expression, ra represents the ragam or music and tha for thalam or the rhythm. The Bharatanatyam suite of dances will be performed in its traditional order by dancer and teacher Jeyanthi R.Ghatraju and her senior students from the Natyanjali School of Dance in Andover. Introductions and explanations of the dances will be provided in English.
Jeyanthi Ghatraju had her training in Bharatanatyam in the Thanjavur style from several gurus including the Shivanjali Temple of Arts, Coimbatore, India. She taught this art form at the Natyanjali School in Ottawa, Canada, prior to moving to Massachusetts and founding the Natyanjali School of Dance. Jeyanthi is affiliated with the Alagappa Performing Arts Academy of the Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India and offers certificate and degree courses in Bharatanatyam. She and her students perform regularly in the New England area.
This performance for all ages is sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
On the Road @your library: Elderhostel
Do you enjoy learning new things, experiencing new activities, and discovering new places? Find out about some of the fascinating travel and learning experiences offered by Elderhostel at a free presentation on Monday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
This program will introduce you to a unique kind of travel experience especially for older adults, from the worldwide leader among education and travel organizations for adults age 55 and older. Whether you enjoy hiking through the Grand Canyon, birding in Costa Rica, or rebuilding homes on the Gulf Coast, there is something for you. Bring an open, inquisitive and mature mind-no prior formal education or knowledge of subjects is required-and enjoy a stimulating environment without homework assignments, exams, grades, or credits! Elderhostel programs encompass an extraordinary range of subjects and locations in every state of the U.S., the provinces of Canada, more than 90 countries around the world, and aboard vessels that traverse rivers and seas.
Canton resident and Elderhostel Ambassador Bill Morgan will share his intimate knowledge of the Elderhostel lifelong learning experience. Bill has been on over 40 Elderhostel trips, including three intergenerational programs and a recent adventure in Australia and New Zealand.
National Issues Forum: The Energy Problem
You are invited to participate in a National Issues Forum on the topic of The Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 3 at the Main Library. National Issues Forums provide an opportunity for citizens to gather, talk, listen and learn together about urgent issues our nation faces, in hopes of finding workable solutions.
America's way of life seems threatened by unstable sources of energy, while many see growing evidence of environmental damage. As demands for energy escalate, both in this country and in rapidly developing nations, we may soon reach a point of no return. It is time to face the difficult choices that must be made to ensure a sustainable future. During the Forum, participants will consider three possible approaches to the problem: reducing our dependency on foreign energy; developing non-fossil fuel alternatives; and reducing consumer demand for energy.
National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk - to deliberate about common problems. NIF does not advocate specific solutions or points of view but provides citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those choices, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. Although all forum activity is locally organized, moderated, and financed, the materials used are produced by the Kettering Foundation of Dayton, Ohio, among others, and promoted by the National Issues Forums Institute.
There is no fee to participate in National Issues Forums. Free booklets on the topic are available for participants to read prior to the Forum. To register and obtain a booklet, please call 617-376-1316 or e-mail quref@ocln.org. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Computer Classes: Internet Basics and Digital Photo Editing
Internet Basics
Discover the common features found on most websites as you learn about links, navigation and scrolling with hands-on practice. Then, use Google to do some basic web, image and news searches. This two-session course will be held on Tuesday, January 15 and Tuesday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Main Library computer lab. Participants must have experience using a mouse.
To register, please call 617-376-1316 or stop by the Main Library reference desk. Due to the popularity of this course, we ask that you only sign up once.
Edit & Enhance Your Digital Photos
Is your desktop disorganized with digital pictures? Do you want to reduce red-eye, add cool effects, crop your pictures and create albums to send to friends? Learn how to easily store, edit and share your digital pictures with Picasa, a free software download from Google, in a two-session workshop on Thursday, January 24 and 31 at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Library computer lab.
Picasa organizes your entire collection and allows you to move and re-name pictures from inside the program. Using basic fix buttons, you can sharpen, crop, remove red eye, fix contrast, turn colored photographs to black and white and enhance your digital pictures. Unlike other photo editing software, Picasa only requires a few simple clicks.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn all about Picasa and do a few simple edits on provided photographs. In the second session, participants can bring in their own photos on CD, flash drive or floppy disk and edit and save them to take home. Please note that because all digital cameras are different, participants must first remove their pictures from their camera and transfer them to a CD or other storage device.
Space is limited in this program. Participants must be familiar with Microsoft Windows XP. To register, call 617-376-1316 or email quref@ocln.org.
January Book Discussions & Drop-in Groups
 FRIDAY MORNING BOOK DISCUSSION
This book discussion group meets on the second Friday of each month at 10:00 a.m. The focus of this group is world literature. On Friday, January 11, the group will discuss The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library checkout desk. For more information, call Julie at 617-376-2411.
 WEDNESDAY EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION
This group meets the third Wednesday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Main Library. On Wednesday, January 16, the group will discuss Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library checkout desk. New members are welcome
to join anytime. For more information, call Megan at 617-376-1331.
 THURSDAY EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION
This group meets the first Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Main Library. The focus of this group is non-fiction books of local and regional interest. On Thursday, January 3, the group will discuss Curse of the Narrows by Laura MacDonald. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library checkout desk. For more information, call Will at 617-689-8320.
 BOOKED FOR LUNCH @Main Library
Read any good books lately? Looking for something new to read? Bring a brown bag lunch--or grab a sandwich or salad at the library café--and join other readers for an informal conversation about books on the first Friday of each month. The next meeting is on Friday, January 4 from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Main
Library atrium. The group meets near the café--just look for the brown Booked for Lunch sign on the table. Drop in anytime and check out this friendly group!
 COOKING WITH BOOKS @Adams Shore Branch
Love to cook? Love to read cookbooks? Join other food lovers on the second Monday of each month to review new cookbooks, share favorite recipes, and perhaps take a turn at cooking something for others to sample. This group meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Adams Shore Branch Library, 519 Sea St., Quincy. On January 14, we'll talk about APPETIZERS. You are invited to bring one of your favorite recipes to share. For more information, call 617-376-1325.
MOVIE MATINEE @North Quincy Branch
See a variety of films selected with older adults in mind at this weekly program, most Wednesdays at 2:15 p.m. at the North Quincy Branch. Films include travel, humor, and biography as well as full-length feature films.
January Exhibit: Photography by Michael Kullen
Weymouth resident Michael Kullen exhibits his nature and wildlife photography from January 2-31 in the Coletti reading room of the Main Library. A public reception will be held on Sunday, January 6 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Mr. Kullen's interest in photography began in 1968 when he bought his first camera. As a professional photographer from 1969 to 1992, he worked for a number of newspapers, magazines and wire services and his work has been published widely, including a number of Sports Illustrated and Inside Sports covers. Kullen left the world of taking pictures to work for MerlinOne, Inc. in Quincy, managing digital images for newspapers and wire services. The birth of Kullen's first grandchild in 1999 rekindled his love of photography, with a focus on nature, wildlife, and his grandchildren.
January Events for Children
REGISTRATION FOR WINTER STORYTIMES
Registration for winter storytimes begins Friday, January 11 at 9:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. at the Adams Shore and North Quincy branches). To allow as many people as possible to participate in storytime, we ask those currently attending storytime to wait until Saturday, January 12 register.
The children's department offers weekly storytimes for children ages 4 months to 7 years. For program details pick up a schedule at any library location or check the children's programs page.
Each child may register for only one storytime. Children must be of age by the
first meeting. Call or stop by the program location to register. Please note
that programs fill very quickly and registration is limited to Quincy residents.
CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Learn the basics of calligraphy with Lai Wong on Tuesday, January 8 from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. at the Main Library. Participants will get the chance to try out various styles of writing, pens and paper. This program will take place in the large meeting room at the Main Library and is for students in grades 5-12. To register or for more information stop by or call the Children's Room at 617-376-2411.
SATURDAY FUN FOR LITTLE ONES
Join us on Saturday, January 12 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library for a Singalong with Jeff Jam. Jeff is a friendly, goofy guy with an acoustic guitar leading a Sing-A-Long of children's classics, such as The Muffin Man, Hokey Pokey, Wheels On the Bus, Bingo, This Old Man, etc. Kids and parents alike will delight in the singing and dancing. This program is for children ages 0-4 accompanied by an adult. No registration is required but space is limited to the first 125 people. When we reach the capacity, we will have to close the doors. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Library.
ENGLISH/CHINESE STORYTIME WITH MICHELLE
Bring your child to a free English/Chinese drop-in storytime on Saturday, January 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. Join storyteller Michelle Andrews for stories, songs, rhymes and crafts for children ages 2-5 accompanied by an adult. This special monthly storytime will be interpreted in Cantonese and Mandarin. No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
MAD SCIENCE: Walloping Weather
Welcome to the wild world of weather! In this Mad Science of Greater Boston workshop for children ages 4-8, through hands-on activities and exciting demonstrations participants will investigate why it rains, what causes lightning and even how weather can be predicted via a science called meteorology. They'll step into the shoes of a meteorologist and create some of their own regional weather forecasts, and they'll make a UV detector to take home so they can continue to explore the amazing world of weather.
This workshop will be held on Saturday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
Registration is required, beginning Monday, January 7. Stop by the Main Library Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 to register. Due to space limitations, this program is limited to Quincy residents.
This workshop will be held on Saturday, December 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library
BOOK CLUBS
The Library offers three book discussion groups for kids: Night Owls 3 for third graders, Night Owls 4 for fourth graders, and the Phoenix for grades 5-8. Each group meets once a month at the Main Library. Call or stop by the Main Library Children's Room for more information or to register.
What's New in the Library Collection
Browse for new books, audiobooks, and DVDs in the Readers' Links section of our website or sign up to receive BookLettersupdates in your e-mail. There are BookLetters for every age and interest, including bestsellers, fiction and mystery, large print, audiobooks, books for kids and teens, DVDs, and more. Each BookLetter is published monthly and features titles, reviews, and links to the library catalog, so reserving the titles you want is quick and easy.
To see lists of other new materials, check out the New in the Library lists in the Old Colony Library Network online catalog. To see only new titles owned by a Quincy library, go into the catalog from our Catalog Search page. To see new titles owned by all libraries in the Old Colony Library Network, go into the catalog from the OCLN website using the catalog search box, without logging in with your library card number.
Friends of the Library
Become a Friend of the library! Your Friends membership fee ($10 for individuals, $15 for families) helps support museum passes and events for all ages. For more information about
the Friends, go to the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library page or pick up a brochure at the library.
|
