Adult Summer Reading 2008

June 16-August 31

Read the books!
Play the colors!
Win the Prizes!


How it works: This program is open to adult library card holders 18 or older.

Register at the Circulation Desk starting June 16th.

Patrons will fill out an entry form for each book read between Monday and Sunday for the Weekly Prize drawing.

Weekly Prize drawings will be held on Wednesdays and the winners will be notified by phone.

Patrons will get an additional chance at the Weekly Prize drawing by writing a review about the book.

Read 12 books before August 31 to be eligible for the Grand Prize drawing.

Grand Prize drawing will be held on Sept. 3, 2008.
The winner will be notified by phone.

For more information, contact Circulation Desk at the Crawfordsville District Public Library, 205 S. Washington Street, Crawfordsville, IN 47933, 765-362-2242 ext. 2, circ@cdpl.lib.in.us

Preview Shelf -- Adult Summer Reading Program

The Crawfordsville District Public Library announces its summer reading program June 16 to August 31 for patrons 18 years and older. "Color Your World" is the theme. The challenge will be reading 12 books to complete the game board; the four categories are mystery, romance & historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction, and non-fiction. Just sign up at the circulation desk. There will be weekly drawings and a grand prize, incentives to find new reading pleasure. Local businesses are generously joining the Friends of the Library to sponsor prizes. Here are a third of them: Random House, El Rinconcito Veracruzanao, Serenity Hair Studio & Spa, Kasey Hoffman–Crawfordsville Chiropractic, Country Hearts & Flowers, Good to Go Xpresso, Corbin Insurance, Dari-licious, Fountain Trust Company, Homestead Greetings, Jennifer McGaughey-Visible Changes, and Pizza Hut. Walter Mosley's "Blonde Faith" is his tenth Easy Rawlins thriller putting him on the streets of L. A. to solve a case that threatens the lives of his closest friends. Martha Grimes' "Dakota" is the sequel to "Biting the Moon" and the amnesiac and drifter is still running through the Western plains hunted by a stalker she doesn't remember. The Stone Barrington novel "Shoot Him If He Runs" by Stuart Woods concerns the CIA driven crazy by a certain fugitive hiding on the island of St. Marks. Margaret Truman's "Murder on K Street" takes us on a fast trip through the U.S. capital she knows so well, solving the murder of an Illinois senator's wife. "Dead Time" by Stephen White explores a long-ago camping trip when a young woman disappeared from the Grand Canyon floor, causing trips to NYC and LA to unearth secrets and deceptions. "Blood Dreams" a Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novel by Kay Hooper is a hunt for a serial killer no cops can stop, whose last victim was a powerful U.S. senator's daughter. "Bloodline" is a Repairman Jack novel by Paul Wilson in which the criminal has connections to a facility researching DNA. In "Fast Track" The Sisterhood, sisters who go to great efforts to exact justice, are launched by author Fern Michaels to occupy a new home on Big Pine Mountain in North Carolina, where they are pressed into a dauntng assignment with a small chance to succeed. Michaels' "Hokus Pokus" then calls them to help the Supreme Court Chief Justice who's being blackmailed. The beginning of the tea shop mystery, "The English Breakfast Murder" by Laura Childs, involves the proprietor helping Charleston's Sea Turtle Protection League shepherd hundreds of tiny green loggerheads safely into the sea, during which she spots a dead body bobbing in the waves. "Everlasting" by Kathleen Woodiwiss creates an historical romance after the Crusades when a lovely lady must marry one of scandalous repute to save her stepfather from debtor's prison. "The Elevator" by Angela Hunt holds three women trapped while they conceal shattering secrets, little knowing they center on the same man, and they're forced to unite to fight for their lives. In the Oregon Territory of the 1800s a woman is raised in a strict religious colony, and after an epidemic she takes surviving orphans back East encountering a suitor she's unprepared to face. In the Montana Territory of 1880 a seamstress also must change her safe life in the Lori Wick novel "Cassidy". A father is trapped in a submarine accident, while a son is desperate to save him and a digital readout is ticking toward explosion in the Caribbean Sea during a church-couples' cruise in John Bevere's "Rescued".

In the Gallery this month!

The air blows warm. Fresh green sprouts have turned into flowers, trees and bushes with the most delightful colors. Scintillating scents float lazily on the breath of a breeze while jacket-less kids fly kites and jump curbs on skateboards. Now we know it's finally time to welcome June with open arms. The air inside is cooled. The painting's colors are breath-taking. Beyond beautiful fine art interpretations float on wispy white Gallery walls. Now we know it's time to welcome with open arms fine artist Brad Bernard's exhibit, IMAGES FROM LIFE: Contrasts & Parallels, to the Library's Gallery for the entire month of June. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Brad Bernard began his formal training at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting. After completing his undergraduate studies, he worked as a muralist designing murals for schools, churches and community centers and at the same time also worked as an art instructor throughout the Milwaukee community teaching "at risk" youth, the developmentally challenged and elderly populations. Later he received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. After receiving his MFA, he taught Advanced Placement Studio Art courses at Oxford High School, also in Oxford, Mississippi. Brad Bernard has an extensive fine arts and art education background. Most notably, one of Brad's many painted murals is featured in: Walls of Heritage/Walls of Pride: African American Murals, by James Prigoff and Robin J. Donitz (2000). This seminal, scholarly work chronicles thirty years of mural art work by such artists as John Biggers, Romeare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and Brad himself. In speaking of his exhibited works Brad tells us that this body of work represents but a small overview of the art he has created during the past six years, with the exception of two limited edition prints, Mother and Child and Last Supper on Holy Hill, which were created in 1994 and 1996. Each of the series presented is inspired by his personal metaphysical insight, religious images and ritual, and blues/gospel musicians Brad has met and/or seen perform. The larger abstract pieces based on fire are examples of a larger series titled Burning Processions. Different sources of burning within man-made fires (wood, charcoal, and coal) serve as metaphors for the human characteristics and experiences of spirituality, sexuality, and creativity. Images based on lava and/or the surface of the sun represents characteristics of God-made fire to emphasize the idea that all human experience is a microcosm with the God-consciousness of the heavenly creator. The series Praise and Soul is inspired by scenes typically found within the Missionary Baptist denomination of black churches across America. Each piece reflects on a particular aspect of a praise and worship ritual depicting prayer, singing, service, and ritual. The series as a whole serves as a commentary of the black church and the gospel culture as it compares, contrasts and sometimes overlaps into the blues culture. Blues Routes depicts portraits of blues/gospel musicians. Brad uses a patchwork of road maps/signs, symbols and photocopies as a compositional backdrop and to incorporate historical and biographical imagery. Each subject is immersed in a map of their home town or state with intersecting roads, rivers, interstates and highways, with a patchwork quilt design further implying the "comfort of home" idea. Many of the depicted musicians, who toured nationally and internationally, often have their full-time residence in the place of their birth. Brad is the husband of Ravyn Wilson-Bernard, currently an Owen Duston visiting English professor at Wabash College. Since his arrival in Crawfordsville last summer, Brad has exhibited his work in the Art League sponsored Crawfordsville Downtown Art Exhibition last fall and is scheduled to exhibit his work at the Eric Dean Gallery on the Wabash campus from January 19 through February 21, 2009. This fall will begin his tenure as an art professor at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now doesn't that entice you to visit the Library Gallery sometime during the month of June, just to ogle and enjoy? See you there.

Diane Hammill, Coordinator
Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery
Crawfordsville Public Library

Preview shelf -- Come Join The Summer Adventure

Karen Record announces that the Crawfordsville Library's summer reading program called "Under the Sea" begins Monday. Children of all ages including teens are invited to sign up to read books, and to participate in crafts, story times, and Friday "Floats & Films". Special programs will include the Seahorse Show June 5th, Oceans of Bubbles June 14th, and magician Mark Lehmann's appearance July 12th. Local businesses are joining the Friends of the Library and Crawfordsville Park and Recreation in supporting awards. Some sponsors are McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, and Steak 'n Shake; more will be listed later. The library constantly adds to its collection. "Choosing Simplicity" promotes finding fulfillment in a complex world (the cover shows the front of a canoe facing a serene lake). Linda Pierce studied 211 people who simplified their lives; she gives workshops on work/life balance. A rogue travel writer Chuck Thompson who's traipsed through 35 countries gives the truth about travel as he sees it in "Smile When You're Lying". Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" is his documented trip around the world on an empty stomach searching for adventure and good food. "Who Was First?" by Russell Freedman presents pre-1492 discoverers; artifacts reveal Columbus was among the last, not the first explorers to reach the Americas. "Young Stalin" by Simon Montefiore "unveils the shadowy journey from obscurity to power of the Georgian cobbler's son who became the Red Tsar"."A Charmed Life" is Liza Campbell's experience as the last child to be born at Cawdor Castle in Scotland, family seat of the Campbells, featured in Shakespeare's "Macbeth". "Bread and Roses" by Bruce Watson recalls the mills, migrants, and struggle for the American dream that began with protested pay cuts in the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts labor standoff. "Leading Ladies" by Kay Hutchison profiles the lives of 63 American women pioneers from all walks of life who have "woven thin threads of opportunity into sweeping tapestries of achievement." "Penguins of the World" by Wayne Lynch, "Good Dog, Stay" by Anna Quindlen and "Crows" by Candace Savage all have appealing illustrations for a few good hours among animal friends. "The Daylily: A guide for Gardeners" is a beautiful manual by John Peat and Ted Petit. Jacques Cousteau (d. 1997) offers "The Human, the Orchid, and the Octopus" as he takes us exploring and conserving our natural world; it's a big story.
New poetry books are "Quantum Lyrics" by Van Jordan with lines likened to beautiful music, while "Gulf Music" by Robert Pinsky is known for its familial, cultural, tribal, national and spiritual sounds. "Simply Dreams" by Jacqueline Towers is an A-Z guide of meanings of common and unusual symbols, to learn what the subconscious is trying to tell us. "Four Days to Glory" is Mark Kreidler's review of his wrestling career in Iowa. FBI profiler John Douglas' "Inside the Mind of BTK" is the true story behind the 34-year hunt for a notorious Wichita serial killer. Having a younger family live with the father's parents for three months is a gracious but challenging task, expressed by Judith Viorst in "Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days". "40 Digital Photography Techniques" by John Kimlooks is helpfully organized, even describing different cameras, and comparing their products. Screenwriting is explained in "Save the Cat!" by Blake Snyder who has sold dozens of scripts for films.

Preview Shelf -- Toby Herzog Donates Works

Wabash College Professor of English Tobey Herzog has given the Crawfordsville District Public Library a copy of his book "Tim O'Brien". In several intriging ways the subject (O'Brien) and author (Herzog) have lead parallel lives, besides both serving in Vietnam. Herzog writes, "The moral and physical terrain of Vietnam serves as a heightened setting in which O'Brien explores the nature of truth, the function of memory and imagination, the possibility of moral courage, and the power of love." Herzog's second gift, his new book, "Writing Vietnam, Writing Life" reflects interviews and examines the compositions of four of his contemporary Vietnam-involved authors Philip Caputo, Larry Heineman, O'Brien, and Robert Olen Butler. Both Herzog's books thoughtfully consider the larger questions of that war era. Other additions to the library's collection begin with "The Insider's Guide to the Colleges". This 2008 edition from the staff of the Yale Daily News has comments from students on campuses. "Acing the College Application" is Michele Hernandez' advice to maximize chances for admission to the college of choice. "Paying for College Without Going Broke" is from The Princeton Review and shows how new federal laws affect this situation. There are also "1001 Ways to Pay for College", and "Adult Students: a Painless Guide to Going Back to College" with stories of success from these students and admission officers, both books by Gen & Kelly Tanabe. Requested novels are historical this time. "The Scandal of the Season" by Sophie Gee takes the reader to London high society in 1711, observed by Alexander Pope, who fashions the daring poem "The Rape of the Lock" that will catapult him to fame and fortune. "The Notorious Mrs. Winston" by Mary Mackey is full of accurate historical detail and vibrant characters during the American Civil War when an abolitionist falls for a Confederate soldier. "A Passion Most Pure" by Julie Lessman is the first volume of The Daughters of Boston fastening on the year 1916 during World War I, and extending the scene to the green hills of Ireland. Here are requested mysteries. "Killer Heat" by Linda Fairstein is a Manhattan serial killer search. Margaret Coel's "The Girl with Braided Hair" presents a vivid picture of the Native American, past and present, capturing the rugged atmosphere of Wyoming, and concentrating on a thirty-year-old murder.."Three Sisters" by James Doss is his 12th Charlie Moon story, a Colorado murder case, tracked by a Ute shaman, the tribal investigator's aunt. M.C. Beaton's "Death of a Gentle Lady" is a Constable Hamish Macbeth story about the meddling elderly favorite of Lochdubh, Scotland who turns up dead, and the issue of closing his beloved police station. "Malice" by Robert Tanenbaum is his most suspense-filled book yet as a New York district attorney takes on a cartel that uses terrorists to further its criminal empire. Here's requested nonfiction. "Come On People" by Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint presents personal accounts of setbacks and rebuilding of lives in the face of adversity. "Legacy of Ashes" is Tim Weiner's history of the CIA. In "Loving Natalee" Beth Holloway writes about her daughter's 2005 kidnapping in Aruba and its aftermath. "Write It When I'm Gone" holds Thomas DeFrank's off-the-record conversations with President Gerald R. Ford, which could not be released until after his death. Jonathan Aitken's biography "John Newton; From Disgrace to Amazing Grace" describes the man who not only wrote one of the greatest hymns of all time, but lived one of the greatest stories of salvation by helping abolish the slave trade, altering the course of western history.

Scrapbook Workshops

May 17, 2008
Presented by Susan B. Griffith at the Crawfordsville District Public Library

Crop Workshop, 9:30-4:30
$10.00 ($5.00 for half day)
Tools and some supplies available for purchase

Beginners Class, 10:00-12:00, $8.00, materials charge

Register at Circulation Desk 362-2242, by May 15. Questions can be directed to Sue at 307-7738 or suegriffith@accelplus.net

Library Gallery Blooms with Photos and Postcards

After a long extended vacation, the magic month of May has arrived in all of its glory to perfume the stale air of winter and color the still brown earth and woods with delicately colored blooms and bushes. It's a perfect time to let the sparkle of spring fill in the crevices of winter still left behind. After a prolonged vacation, the long-awaited magic of Wabash College Professor Dr. Z's mesmerizing photographic travel odysseys have arrived in all their glory to grace the still warm walls of the Library's own Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery all during the merry month of May. It's a perfect time to let the spring of new beginnings blossom and fill in the crevices of your art-starved soul right here at the Library. John Zimmerman grew up on a 120-acre family farm in northeastern Iowa. After nine years of one-room country school education, he entered Monticello Public High School where he took a chemistry course the first year it was offered. His excitement with the subject led him to a B.S. in Chemistry from the State University of Iowa, followed by a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas. His four decade Wabash College chemistry teaching career began that same year in 1963. Although now retired, he continues to work daily in the Wabash College Hays Science Center. Photography became part of John's life when he was given an Argus C3 35mm slide film camera in 1959. That began decades of documenting family life and trips throughout the United States and Canada. The original Argus C3 has evolved through six different cameras to the current Nikon D100 digital single lens reflex model. Entry into the digital camera world, including access to post-shot tools like Photoshop and digital printing, has revolutionized the number and quality of images one can take. In the early 90s John began to document Wabash College activities, especially athletics, music and theater. This led to documenting student travel in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, St. Petersburg, Russia and two summers on an archaeological dig in Crete. This exhibit features a blend of prints taken over the past two years with some "old favorites." The majority of the images are "instinctive shots taken mostly on the run." As such they tend to be more documentary than artistic. Come Travel with Me was one of John's favorite performance numbers in the 2006 Wabash College Glee Club Wales, Scotland, and England tour repertoire. The Come Travel with Me blend of lyric and piano accompaniment always energized John to look forward to the next day's adventures. It is in that spirit that John is pleased to share images from some of his more recent travels and has named his exhibit COME TRAVEL WITH ME: A Photographic Engagement with Dr. Z.

As an addendum to the Gallery exhibit Harley Sheets will share a small part of his enormous 15,000 to 20,000 Postcard Collection with the community in the Display Cases of the Gallery during both the months of May and June. Mr. Sheets is the vice-president of the Indianapolis Postcard Club, was born in Lebanon, Indiana, and has lived in Danville, Indiana for the past 20 years. He is a devout collector of Indiana High School and Boone County postcards. On Saturday, June 21 at 2:00 pm in Rooms A & B in the Library's Lower Level, Mr. Sheets will present a 20 to 30 minute synopsis on postcard collecting and give information on what makes postcards both valuable and collectible. Following the presentation, he will offer free postcard appraisals for those who may have collections and accumulations of their own. Mr. Sheets offers libraries and other organizations these programs as a way of giving back to a hobby which he enjoys immensely. He has named his exhibit COME LOOK & LISTEN TO ME: A Postcard Engagement with Harley Sheets. Do come visit these Library Gallery exhibits and enjoy another spring adventure.

Diane Hammill, Coordinator, Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, Crawfordsville Public Library,
2008

Preview Shelf -- Dana Ellis to Entertain "Young Ladies" at Special Library Event

Beginning today, May Day, girls aged six to fourteen are invited to register for the Crawfordsville District Public Library's Fourth Annual "Blossoms & Brunch" on Saturday, May 24th from 10:30 to noon. Light pastries and beverages will be served to these young patrons and their guests. The featured speaker will be Montgomery County acrylic artist Dana Ellis, who will help the group create their own souvenir mementos. The special event will take place in the Donnelley Room on the library's lower level. Just call Linda Brady, 362-2242 in the Youth Services Department, extension 114. Here is some newly-available fiction. "Home to Holly Springs" is Jan Karon's pre-sequel after many books in the Mitford Series, now tracing where Father Kavanagh had been born and raised, to find the missing pieces of his life. It is the first of the Father Tim novels. "Queen of Broken Hearts" is an uplifting tale by Cassandra King telling about women helping each other in a small Alabama town. "Sabrina" by Lori Wick features Denver, Colorado in 1880 when a young lady redeems herself from crimnality to useful Christian womanhood. "Summer Hill Secrets-2" takes us to Pennsylvania's Amish country where enlightening experiences help a youngster grow up. In "The Manning Sisters" by Debbie Macomber a young woman accepts a teaching job in Montana, bringing adventures far different from life in Seattle. The book is part of The Manning Family series. Susan Mallery's "Accidentally Yours" pits a woman who believes in the power of love against a man believing in the power of money. "Swept Away" by Toni Blake is a "lonely island" romance as a bride-to-be escapes to be alone and meets a man in his own dangerous position. "The Year of Fog" by Michelle Richmond centers around the aftermath of a six-year-old's disappearance in thick San Francisco mist. Whitley Strieber incorporates his research in "The Grays" a fictional account of the conspiracy behind alien presence on Earth. Joyce Carol Oates' "The Gravedigger's Daughter" is a struggle in post-World War II upstate New York by the daughter in a family who escaped the Nazis in 1936. "The First Patient" by Michael Palmer is "An exciting thriller…full of surprises; captures the intense atmosphere of the White House" said President Bill Clinton. In "Lady Killer" by Lisa Scottoline a young woman searches for her missing rival from high school in a thriller about opposite personalities. "L.A. Outlaws" by T. Jefferson Parker paints a picture of theft and big personalities in a "dance around the secrets that brought them together". Down-to-earth helps are "The Essential Guide to Mold Making & Slip Casting" by Andrew Martin, and "Scrawny to Brawny" about building muscle the natural way by Michael Mejia and John Berardi. "Careers with Animals" comes from Ellen Shenk. "Don't Miss Out" by Anna and Robert Leider is the "ambitious student's guide to financial aid". How about "365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do With Your Child" by Steve & Ruth Bennett, or a traveller's guide to making a difference around the world called "Volunteer" from Lonely Planet. Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Satran's "Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana" looks like a very complete supply of ideas to help you name your baby. "All the Math You'll Ever Need" is a self-teaching guide by Steve Slavin. "Simply Face Reading" by Jonathan Dee has the purpose to "deepen your understanding of friends, family, co-workers, and other people in your life". "Simply Palmistry" by Sasha Fenton says "Our hands provide a glimpse of our personalities, health, aptitudes - and even what might happen...in the future".

Preview Shelf -- More New Books About Our State

The Crawfordsville District Public Library has four more new books about Indiana. "Indiana Cooks!" holds great restaurant recipes for the home kitchen gathered by Christine Barbour and Scott Feickert. One chapter is about Maize, An American Grill in Lafayette. Other nearby places are the Limestone Grille and Truffles in Bloomington, and Dunaway's, Elements, Oakleys Bistro and R Bistro in Indianapolis. After the introduction to Maize, the recipes offered are its Indiana Corn and Potato Chowder, Buffalo Rock Shrimp Salad with Roasted Indiana Corn Relish and Maytag Blue-Cheese Dressing, Skewered Salmon on Indiana Corn Cake with Shagbark Hickory Glaze, and Blackened Ribeye on a Double-Stuffed Potato with Grilled Vegetables - in case you'd like to whip them up. "The Indiana Rail Road Company" by Christopher Rund features America's new regional railroad, originally part of the Illinois Central, reborn as a profitable carrier. "Kickin' Hoosiers" by Kathryn Knapp profiles Jerry Yeagley and Championship Soccer at Indiana University, 40 years of determination. " Frank Hohenberger's Indiana Photographs" is a down-home tour taken between 1904 and 1950, with delightful looks at common and special sites both rural and urban. John Hart's mystery "Down River" describes a boy with a turbulant childhood that turned him into a fighter, barely acquitted of murder, exiled unjustly, hiding in New York City , then returning to Rowan County, North Carolina where he is accused and must prove his reformation. Bernard Cornwell's "Sword Song" is the recreation of the Battle of London in 885 A.D. written as the fourth volume in his Saxon Tales built around Alfred, the only English king to have "the Great" added to his name. "Creation in Death" by Nora Roberts writing as J D Robb features a detective named Eve in the year 2060 and how she captures an illusive mass murderer. "The Cameleon's Shadow" by Minette Walters features a disturbed British lieutenant just back from Iraq, who cuts all ties and moves to London where accused of crime he must heal himself to prove innocence. Andrew Greeley's "Irish Tiger"is a Nuala Anne McGrail story of a senior engaged couple in danger, helped by the singer turned Warrior Woman of ancient Erin. "A Lick of Frost" by Laurell Hamilton is fantasy about a onetime private investigator in the mortal world now heir-apparent to the faerie throne, endangered by a wicked aunt Queen. "Every Secret Thing" by Ann Tatlock is a biography of a new English teacher at the preparatory school she attended, who finds new friendships and a captivating mystery. In "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" (remember that song lyric?) Elizabeth Berg takes us to Chicago during World War II and profiles three sisters and their Irish family, bringing alive the atmosphere of that era. Luanne Rice has written "Light of the Moon" traveling across the sea for a magical tale of a lonely woman with a promise to keep. "Between Sundays" by Karen Kinghsbury features three characters: a star athlete, another player with a promise he made years ago, and a young woman caring for a foster child who thinks the star athlete is his father; the plot unites them all. James Grippando's "Lying with Strangers" forces a young doctor to prove the accident forcing her car into a pond was a deliberate crime.

Genealogy Club meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County, Indiana Corp. at 7:00 pm, on May 13th, 2008. The program is entitled "Proper Way to Repair Broken Tombstones" by Kim Hancock, Cemetery Restoration Volunteer.

Kim has done a lot of tombstone work on the Oneal Cemetery in Ripley Twp. This program will be held at the Crawfordsville District Public Library in the Donnelly Room. Public invited. Call (765)362-2242, Ext 4 for more information.

Fourth Annual Blossoms and Brunch

Coming in May: Fourth Annual Blossoms and Brunch

Saturday, May 24: 10:30 - Noon

An elegant Saturday morning "girls day out" event for young ladies (ages 6-14) and their favorite adult lady.

The Youth Services Department will provide a brunch of light pastries and beverages
followed by a guest speaker who may inspire you to a new hobby. Each participant will
make a keepsake craft to remind her of this memorable morning.

Space is limited. Sign up early to join us for this popular spring-time event.

Sign-up will begin May 1.

Preview Shelf -- How the Library's Popularity Has Grown

Recently issued statistics about the Crawfordsville District Public Library (available on the web page at cdpl.lib.in.us) show an amazing increase in program attendance from 12,313 in 2005 (last full year in the Carnegie) to 27,264 in 2007. Circulation of items rose from 157,695 to 175,063 (both locations have had good activity). Adult media circulation (cassettes, CDs, DVDs etc) in 2007 shows a collection of 7,925 items with a circulation of 37,295. Busy place. The new history "My Dearest Friend" contains letters by Abigail and John Adams beginning with his flirtatious 1762 note to "Miss Adorable," the 17-year-old Abigail Smith and ending in 1810 when she wrote to wish him a safe journey heading home to Quincy, Massachusetts as retiring President. Their "My Dearest Friend" correspondence referred to family affairs as well as to the unfolding founding of our nation. The significance of this book is its inclusion of some letters never seen before. Editors are Massachusetts Historical Society managers of the Adams papers Margaret Hogan and James Taylor. "Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation" comes from Mike Robbins and Geza Vermes. "The Nativity" history and legend untangles centuries of varied storytelling and places the birth and events surrounding it within their historical context. "The Misunderstood Jew" is Amy-Jill Levine's treatise of humorous insight into Jewish-Christian relations by seeking to understand and affirm Jesus' Jewishness. "The Sisterhood" is Dorothy Solomon's portrait of the lives of Mormon women from 1830 to the present era. Two craft books are "Knitting for Baby" with 30 heirloom projects by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas and "Big Girl Knits" 25 bold projects shaped for "women with curves" by Jillian Moreno and Amy Singer. Memoirs begin with Dang Thuy Tram's "Last Night I Dreamed of Peace" (a translation) saved for 35 years before being published in Vietnam, made by a volunteer doctor in a Viet Cong battlefield hospital sharing her thoughts during the two years she served before being killed in that war. A wartime memoir from Anne Frank's best friend, Jacqueline van Maarsen who still lives in Amsterdam is "My Name is Anne, She Said, Anne Frank". "William & Rosalie" is also a Holocaust testimony by two Polish survivors now in their 80s in Texas, who have waged an effective campaign against prejudice and discrimination. "Iraq and Back" by Colonel Kim Olson USAF (Ret.) is subtitled Inside the War to Win the Peace; the author now travels our country speaking about leadership, political-military insights, and educational issues. Good reads are "Animals of Asia & Australia" by Tom Jackson, and "Whalewatcher" a global guide to studying dolphins and porpoises as well as whales in the wild by Trevor Day. "Teach Your Own" by Holt and Farenga is The John Holt Book of Home Schooling. "America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money" comes from the experiences of Steve and Annette Economides. "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" by Susie Martinez makes your mouth water any time of day. Paul Harvey says, "Of all the how-to books ever written, the best …are the Bible, Voltaire's 'Candide' and this one". It's a top-sergeant's lesson in practical economics.

Preview Shelf -- Those Liberal Arts

The Crawfordsville District Public Library, with all kinds of reading, listening, and "doings", offers the public a generous and full education. This week's book listings, as always, are an example. Requested books arrive each week. The first book weighs six pounds. It's called "The Rembrandt Book" and Gary Schwartz, who lives in the Netherlands and writes a biweekly Internet article (The Schwartzlist), includes information about the artist's life, homes, portraits, and paintings. It could be called "Rembrandt 101". Next for contrast come other arts. The piano/vocal scores called "Billy Joel's Greatest Hits" offer Piano Man and Just the Way You Are. There is Eric Clapton's "Clapton" the autobiography telling us about surviving his difficult boyhood when his "solace was the guitar". Laurie Swim's "Quilting" is from the World of Crafts and includes exercises like fabric sketching and fabric bouquet; she shares some novel ideas. "Quilt Masterpieces" by Susanna Pfeffer presents stories and plates of 48 specific fine quilts from the distant and recent past. "The Art of Landscape Quilting" by Zieman and Sewell shows patterns with depth and designs that mimic fine painting. "The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques" by Nancie Wiseman is spiral-bound and directs button holes, woven seams, borders, bands, and finishes helpful in many situations. On to history. "Leviathan" by Eric Dolin holds the details of whaling in America, from identifying a stranded whale on the Dutch shore in 1598 to showing the British factory ship, the Balaena, hunting in the Antarctic in 1946. "15 Stars" by Stanley Weintraub profiles Eisenhower, MacArthur, and Marshall, three generals who saved the American century, showing how much of a difference three men can make. "Marine Air" by Robert Dorr gives the history of the Flying Leathernecks in words and photos. Bill Yenne's "Rising Sons" identifies the Japanese-American GIs who fought World War II for the United States, a special segment of the Greatest Generation. "The Indiana Legion: A Civil War Militia" by John Etter, of Westfield, Indiana includes the good bibliography and footnotes made by this re-enactor, graduate student in history at Butler, and researcher of the Indiana Militia; he honors the 50,000 men believed to have served in the active home guard and the many thousands more in the Minute-man militia. :Images of Civil War Medicine" is a photographic history of facilities and the scientists active during the war. "The Frank Family That Survived" by Gordon Sander is told by the grandson of the head of the family showing how Anne Frank was betrayed and how her family eventually survived the Nazi war in Holland."Blood Struggle" is Charles Wilkinson's story about the rise of the modern Indian nations in America. The "Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians" edited by David Wishart has many new entries focusing on contemporary tribes and lots of new photos."Women of Courage" holds intimate stories from Afghanistan with colorful pictures of that culture and one-page articles about 40 women in all walks of that life. Two books about the "dark continent" are "Africa on Six Wheels" a semester on safari by Betty Levitov, and "A Continent for the Taking" in which, after 24 years of study, Howard French talks of the tragedy and hope on that continent

Scrapbook Workshops

April 5, 2008
Presented by Susan B. Griffith at the Crawfordsville District Public Library

Crop Workshop, 9:30-4:30
$10.00 ($5.00 for half day)

Tools and some supplies available for purchase

Beginners Class, 10:00-12:00
$8.00, materials charge

Register at Circulation Desk 362-2242, by April 3.Questions can be directed to Sue at 307-7738 or cmsuegriffith@comcast.net

Genealogy Club meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will meet at 7:00 pm, April 8th, 2008. Our lecture is "Getting Organized" by Linda White (Local History/Systems Librarian for Thorntown, Indiana). The program will be in the Donnelly Room. The Public is invited. Call: (765) 362-2242, Ext 4 for more information.

Library's Gallery Hosts Sugar Creek Quilters

Quilter's winter hibernation-retreat has ended! At the first sign of spring, freshened by their "pieceful" winter quilting adventures, our Sugar Creek Quilt Artists are consumed with a desire to share their fantastic fabric forays with the outside world. In a not-so-quietly blooming profusion of color and beauty, these magical quilts are dancing for joy on the walls of the Public Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery. They patiently await the expressions of delight bursting forth as you these works of art from Monday, March 17 until Thursday, May 1, 2008.

With a core of 60 active members, Sugar Creek Quilters try to learn about and enjoy everything relating to the art of quilting. Member's interests range from those who enjoy simply being around or under quilts, to those who create bed quilts, art-quilts, patterns, clothing and everything in between. Members' fun-loving camaraderie, whether visiting a quilt shop, taking a class or quilting together, is an amazing thing to see and is always stimulating.

The group meets in the Public Library's Lower Level on the third Monday of each month at 6:45. Everyone is welcome! Cost for membership is $15.00 per year. This includes a monthly newsletter, the opportunity to take workshops and to hear state-of-the-art speakers at every monthly meeting. Each meeting includes member's show-and-tell.

Quilters come in all shapes and sizes! Their unique and unusual ideas also come in all shapes and sizes, from king-size bed quilts to teeny wall hangings. However the quilter's inspiration comes, the quilt is always fascinating to see and learn from. Color choices reflect personal preference; difficulty of design depends on the individual quilter's skill and proficiency. Some members are quick to finish quilts, others take their time. Some enjoy beading and sparkling things up and others like plain and not so fancy. The beauty of this exhibit is in its uniqueness, with something for everyone to enjoy and perhaps want to emulate.

Come as often as you would like and stay long as you can during the six weeks of this quilter's expose. I promise you'll enjoy yourself each and every time!

Preview Shelf -- Waynetown Native's Book Available

It is a special pleasure to add books of local interest to the Crawfordsville District Public Library collection. Recently, patron Robin Pebworth donated "Perfect Justice" by his friend D. Thomas Johnson, a Texas lawyer and Indiana University ATO fraternity brother. Johnson is a Waynetown native and 1957 graduate of Waynetown High School. His father was a doctor there for many years and his sister, resident Etta Ruth Fruits is retired from the Waynetown Clerks office. The novel is a clever, fast-moving medical malpractice law case with a reasonable number of interesting characters, and a satisfying but surprise conclusion. The library receives many purchase requests. Here are some new books ready to borrow. Rebecca Shaw offers three Barleybridge novels, "A Country Affair", "Country Wives", and "Country Lovers" which mix ingredients of picture-postcard village life in the Yorkshire hills of England. Sherryl Woods' two stories called The Sweet Magnolias (a group of women) are "A Slice of Heaven" and "Feels Like Family" about her town called Serenity in South Carolina. L. A. Banks' two episodes in A Vampire Huntress Legend are "The Bitten" and "The Damned"; enough said. "74 Seaside Avenue" by Debbie Macomber is a beautiful house with a view of Puget Sound where a beautician is the main character in a good-spirited gossip "ring". "Inferno" by Karen Harper describes an isolated town in Montana where a serial arsonist is sought by the FBI. JoAnn Ross' "Impluse" takes place in Hazard, Wyoming, a mountain town invaded by a deadly hunter. "Don't Scream" by Wendy Staub takes us to the Berkshires in Massachusetts where four friends pledge never to reveal what happened in those woods. Carla Neggers' "Abandon" explains a vicious attack at a lakefront cottage in New Hampshire. There's "A Merry Heart", "Looking for a Miracle", "Plain & Fancy", and "The Hope Chest" in Wanda Brunstetter's series Brides of Lancaster County about Amish life. Joan Medlicott's "At Home in Covington" embraces life in a small North Carolina mountain town. Gilbert Morris' "The Miracle" tells how a young woman struggles to uphold her faith, family, and dreams during the Great Depression. Here's some lively nonfiction. In "A Commonwealth of Thieves" Thomas Keneally explains the improbable birth of Australia. John Tayman offers "The Colony" the harrowing history of the exiles of Molokai, the Hawaiian island American leprosy settlement, beginning in 1866 when twelve men and women and a small child arrived aboard a leaky schooner with little food, and little hope. "The French & Indian War" is presented by Walter Borneman. "Empire of Blue Water" is Stephan Talty's story of Captain Morgan's great pirate army, the epic battle for the Americas, and the catastrophe that ended the outlaws' bloody reign. "Challenging China" is a group of essays by independent Chinese voices describing their struggle and hope in this era of change; its publisher is Human Rights in China and its editors are Sharon Hom and Stacy Mosher. Other new studies are "Road from Ar Ramadi" by Staff Sargeant Camilo Mejia, who rebelled as a conscientious objector to the Iraq war. A Central America native, he served the U.S. military at the age of 19 for three years, then transferred to the Florida National Guard and fought in Iraq for five months. "Imperial Life in the Emerald City", a National Book Award finalist, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, tells about Iraq's green zone and how the American liberation of Iraq involved chaos, calamity, and civil war. Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" encompasses a year when she and her family moved from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vowed to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood.

Preview Shelf -- Booksale Soon!

Here comes another Second Saturday; beginning at 9 a.m. Friends of the Crawfordsville District Public Library will receive the public in their lower level bookstore suite where lots of good reading is available for donations. Right now they'd be especially glad to receive any children's books you'd like to contribute to their shop. Here are some recent nonfiction arrivals. "Home Sense" offers simple plans to enhance where and how you live, from Eduardo Xol who is a designer on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. "Blind Spots" by Madeleine Van Hecke addresses why smart people do dumb things; Wendy Northcutt writes, "This book allows us to see ourselves more clearly and assess others more tolerantly". Malka Zipora's "Rather Laugh Than Cry" tells stories about Hassidic women living in large urban settings. "Is Religion Dangerous?" by Keith Ward handles questions like, Are religious beliefs irrational? Does religion do more harm than good? The Times Literary Supplement says he "takes the common sense view that while religion, like everything else (say politics, sex, science, knowledge, and life itself), can be dangerous, on the whole it contributes to human flourishing." "30 Days to a Simpler Life" by Connie Cox & Cris Evatt concerns improvements like Create a Serene Bedroom, Dress with Less, and Set up an Efficient Office. "Organize Your Life" by Ronni Eisenberg advocates freeing oneself from clutter. "Building Powerful Community Organizations" is Michael Brown's personal guide to creating groups that can solve problems and change the world. "Tabloid Love" by Bridget Harrison is about the quest to "have it all, a great job and true love", as she runs her own Sunday New York Post column and shares its adventures. Also new are "The Analects of Confucius" which is a literal translation with an introduction and notes by Chichung Huang. "Safari Living" from Mini Lifestyle Library is a group of Tim Beddow's photographs of interiors and exteriors of lodges and camps on the eastern reaches of Africa. "The Chocolate Tree, A natural History of Cacao" the 1,000-year-old Latin American bean, comes from Allen Young. Judith Hellman's "Mexican Lives" rich and poor, urban and rural, north and south, tells a different story than most Americans have heard. "Traditional Wooden Toys, Their History and How to Make Them" is told and shown by Cyril Hobbins. "Victorian Dolls' House Projects - A Day in the Life" by Christiane Berridge takes the reader through the day, from morning to night-time, as a highly original and effective way to bring that house to life, encompassing something for all levels of ability with 70 projects to challenge crafters. A step-by-step guide from concept to finished script makes up "Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting" by Syd Field. "Antique Trader Pottery & Porcelain Ceramics Price Guide" has full-color photos and is edited by Kyle Husfloen. Dodge Woodson's "Builder's Guide to Wells and Septics" can be very important sometimes. The National Underwriter Company's TaxFacts 2007 "Social Security Source Book" covers Medicare, Railroad Retirement, Military, Railroad and Federal employee benefits."The Golden Age of Advertising - the {19}60s" by Taschen books reproduces print ads for foods, cars, appliances, and plane trips that bring back that colorful easy domestic world, "a hefty nostalgia trip, & whether you're old enough to remember these gems, or just into retro, this is lovely stuff."

Ingenious High School Artists Embellish CDPL Gallery

While not-so-patiently awaiting the first breath of spring "outside"; the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery offers you an "inside" profusion of beauty to tide you over until real spring decides to descend. It is a fresh, energetic explosion of over 300 colorful images from the imaginings of young Montgomery County artists. This spring awakening will be exhibited in the gallery from Sunday, February 24th until Sunday, March 16th during regular library hours.

High School Art Students, with the help of Art Teachers and Tri Kappa Sorority members, will again wow you with their rich talent and focused tenacious skills. Every art student who wishes to enter this event may do so, in one or several of the following categories; Ceramics, Computer Graphics-Graphic Design & Communication Arts, Drawing 1 and 2, Jewelry & Metalsmithing, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography 1 and 2, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textile & Fiber Design. The six High School Art Teachers, Sheila McCormick and Marianne Ballenger of Crawfordsville High School, JD Minch and Mike Strickler at North Montgomery, Eleanor Brewer and Janet McVay at Southmont, suggest categories which may challenge individual students, teach skills needed by those students, encourage artists to put forth their best effort and lastly, get pieces gallery-ready by matting and shrink-wrapping each one. Ribbons and Financial Rewards, in each of the fourteen categories, are given for first, second, third place and honorable mention. An Award is also given for Best of Show and People's choice. Each year Tri Kappa members hire an experienced, independent artist to judge student work. This year's judge is our very own local artist and member of the Hoosier Salon, Jerry Smith. Without the Tri Kappa volunteers this philanthropic event would not take place. Each year Tri Kappa women, most of who are employed full time outside the home, volunteer to work with high school art teachers creating categories, time-lines, student data bases for printing labels, labeling each piece upon receipt, hiring judges and last but certainly not least, placing each piece of art in a categorically artistic manner on the walls and in the display cases of the gallery. When you visit this amazing exhibit of artistic diversity, be prepared to be awed by the scope and depth of talent emanating from these high-spirited young artists. You will have the opportunity to vote for your favorite piece for the people's choice award! Enjoy!

Preview Shelf for CDPL

The Crawfordsville District Public Library now has an electric typewriter available for use within the building. The novel "The Gathering" by Anne Enright gives a brave look at Ireland and a sympathetic look at the characters of a large Irish family haunted by the past. "The Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett is a funny novella about the Queen of England whose new passion for reading leads to funny consequences for the country at large. Jim Butcher's "Captain's Fury" is book four of his Codex Alera in which forces of nature take physical form. Michael Chabon's "Gentlemen of the Road" brings back the rollicking spirit of legendary adventures as an itinerant physician and an ex-soldier make their way through the Caucasus Mountains circa 950 A.D. Linda Miller's "McKettrick's Luck" is the first in a new McKettrick Men series about a westerner whose ancestors tamed the wilds of Arizona. A tale of the American West rodeo, involving poison and rumors is Catherine Anderson's "Sun Kissed". Bret Lott has edited "The Best Christian Short Stories" of Homer Hickam, Larry Woiwode, Erin McGraw and others. Two mysteries are Maggie Sefton's "A Killer Stitch" finding holiday knitters in Fort Connor, Colorado mixed up in the death of an alpaca rancher, and Peter Tremayne's "A Prayer for the Damned" a mystery of Ireland in 668 A.D. when a King is accused of a crime on the eve of a wedding he is to attend. Nonfiction covers many vistas. "America's Best Value Colleges" 2008 edition describes 165 schools that The Princeton Review staff thinks give "the most bang for your buck without saddling you with loans". "What Color Is Your Parachute?" updated by Richard Bolles is the practical manual for job hunters that's been almost permanently on best seller lists. "Here If You Need Me" by Kate Braestrup is the inspiring story of pursuing her lost husband's dream and becoming a minister herself, seving as chaplain for search-and-rescue missions in the Maine woods. "Rachel in the World" is Jane Bernstein's memoir learning to accept her daughter's disabilities and finding unexpected pleasures locating a place for her in the world. "Rickles' Book" is an easy-to-read pleasureable memoir by the comedian and good man Don Rickles.
Laurie Steelsmith's "Natural Choices for Women's Health" gives secrets of natural and Chinese medicine for a lifetime of wellness. "12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know" is Michele Borba's treatise on getting back to basics raising happy kids. Paul Coughlin's "No More Jellyfish, Chickens, or Wimps" proposes ways to raise secure, assertive Christian kids in a tough world. On that note, "Thanks!" is Robert Emmons' book about how the science of gratitude can make one happier. An important look at religious passions that are driving world politics is Mark Lilla's "The Stillborn God" revealing the sources of the quest to bring political life under God's authority, and its role in shaping Western thought. In "The Art of Power" Thich Nhat Hanh says power is only good for increasing our happiness and the happiness of others. Al Janssen and Brother Andrew who began taking Bibles to Christians behind closed borders in 1955 have joined to write "Secret Believers" telling what happens when Muslims believe in Christ. "Predators" by Gregory Cooper and Michael King tells how to recognize predatory behavior before it strikes, and how to deal with it if we find ourselves in its grasp. "Common Ground" by Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel shows how to get beyond partisanship, restore civility, and move our country forward.