National Poetry Month and National Library Week

Poetry and Libraries --- I think I see a connection --- do you, I hope so because I am going to use the two for this blog entry! Okay, here goes:

Books, books again, and books once more!
There are our theme, which some miscall
Mere madness, setting little store
By copies either short or tall.
But you, O slaves of shelf and stall!
We rather write for you that hold
Patched folios dear, and prize "the small,
Rare volume, black with tarnished gold."
~ Austin Dobin

Going to the Library
By Jessy Randall

In the library there are pathways
you follow to find out what you want to know --
imagine - somewhere in all these books
or on the face of the computer or in parentheses
at the back of a magazine, there is
the perfect sentence, the answer to your question,
the words all around you like
the tornado in the Wizard of Oz never
go home Dorothy -- Dorothy, never land --
language can be your bed, the
beautiful wonder of all possible poems.

Poem
My Library
By Varda One

It's only a room with shelves and books,
but it's far more magical than it looks

It's a jet on which I soar
to lands that exist no more.

Or a key with which I find
answers to questions crowding my mind.

Building my habit of learning and growing,
asking and researching till I reach knowing.

Here, I've been a mermaid and an elf
I've even learned to be more myself.

I think that I shall never see
a place that's been more useful to me.

With encouraging kind friends with wit
Who tell me to dream big and never quit.

It's only a room with shelves and books,
but it's far more magical than it looks.

WOW ---- stirring words ---- when are you coming in? Happy National Poetry Month and Happy National Library Week! Hurray for both!

National Library Week, April 11th-17th, 2010 - Events at the SERC Library

Fine Forgiveness: The SERC Library will forgive fines on all overdue items returned April 12th-17th that are accompanied by a nonperishable food item. All donations will go to the Amazing Grace food pantry in Middletown. This is a great way to help your community, your library, and yourself!

Free Bag: Staff will be offering guided tours of the Library on Tuesday, April 13th, 2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 15th, 5:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Anyone who receives a library tour during these time periods will receive an awesome eco-friendly SERC Library reusable tote bag to help you carry all those books!

Free Toolkit: The SERC Library, in conjunction with the Connecticut Parent Information & Resource Center (CT PIRC), will be offering free copies of a "Toolkit for Families, Resources to Help Students Succeed in School," from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and the U.S. Department of Education.

"How Does the Library Help Our Community Thrive?" Monday, April 12th, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., SERC Library Community Room

Come to the SERC Library on Monday, April 12th between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to view a selection of new materials on such innovative education topics as digital literacy, technology in instruction, diverse learners, and response to intervention. Library Staff will be on hand to provide tutorials on utilizing Iluminar, our interactive library catalog, as well as to answer any questions you might have about the SERC Library and the services we offer. This event is open to anyone, and we welcome first time visitors! Stop by, have a cookie, and discover one of Connecticut's most valuable education resources!

Connecticut Children's Book Fair - November 14-15th, 2009

The 18th Annual Connecticut Children's Book Fair will be held on November 14th and 15th at the UCONN campus in Storrs. The fair provides an opportunity for fans of children's literature to meet prominent authors and illustrators in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. In addition to presentations and book signings, the event will also feature storytelling sessions, crafts, and even an opportunity to have breakfast with Clifford the Big Red Dog! Lots of other popular characters will be present as well. On Saturday visitors will also be able to visit the Northeast Children's Literature Collection, housed at UCONN's Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, which features an extensive collection of original work by such noted authors as Richard Scarry and Tomie dePaola. For information on the collection go here, and for information on attending the fair go here.

And of course be sure to check out two of the newest additions to our very own Young People's book collection:

The Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger's Syndrome, by K.I. Al-Ghani (YP 618.92 ALG)
The picture book offers both an engaging story that children will enjoy and helpful anger management techniques for adults to employ when working with children prone to anger and temper tantrums. From foot massages to popping bubble wrap, these suggestions are sure to appeal to even the most stressed out child.


All Dogs Have ADHD, by Kathy Hoopmann (YP 362.196 HOO)
This book uses vivid full color photographs of dogs to illustrate many of the most common traits held by those with ADHD. This delightful and humorous book is great for helping to boost the self-esteem of kids who may be having a hard time and feeling different from their peers.

Banned Books Week

The last week of September is Banned Books Week, which is a time to celebrate and appreciate free speech and reading. The wonderful thing about reading is not only that there are so many different worlds one can enter by picking up a book, but that it is our individual choice that guides us on these journeys. You may delight in reading of the trials and tribulations of a quirky small town in the 1950s and your neighbor might love to get lost in a gripping political thriller, while I might devour an epic vampire love story. But when we allow individual choice to be limited we encroach on this great personal freedom, and we chip away at what makes reading so special in the first place. Many libraries use Banned Books Week as a way to highlight the maligned titles that fall into this category through special displays and programs that encourage people to read these books for themselves and form their own opinions.

Here in the SERC Library one of our most popular Young People's books holds the dubious honor of topping the list of most frequently banned books for the past two years: the absolutely delightful and heartwarming And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (YP F RIC). This book depicts the true story of two Central Park Zoo male penguins who fall in love and form a family by adopting an abandoned egg and taking the baby penguin, Tango, under their wings (so to speak). This book is frequently challenged because of its open depiction of a homosexual relationship, despite the fact that the relationship is presented in a positive and loving manner. This dichotomy between the author's intention and the reader's interpretation is what lies at the core of most banned book controversies.

Or, as acclaimed author (and personal favorite of mine) Francesca Lia Block stated when asked how she felt about her books being censored: "I'm a bit surprised in one way, because the message of all of them is love, tolerance and self-expression. On the other hand, I am not surprised because the message is love, tolerance and self-expression."

So exercise your First Right Amendment and read a banned book!

SERC Library featured on Connecticut library blog!

The SERC Library was profiled in the publication Connecticut Libraries in 2008, and there is now an online version of the article that can be read here on the Connecticut Library Treasures blog. Check it out, and while you're there take a peek at some of the other library gems Connecticut has to offer. Of particular note is the Northeast Children's Literature Collection, located at UCONN's Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, which has over 36,000 materials, including 450 different editions of Anna Sewell's beloved classic Black Beauty. Wow!