Reviving the Blog

Hi there, this is Jenny at the library. We are in the process of reviving the “Off the Shelf” blog! Just wanted to tell you about an upcoming event: The Cortland Free Library Adult Book Club will meet on Wednesday, August 7th to discuss “In Its Time” by local author Nancy Rehkugler—who will join us for the conversation.  All meetings take place at the library between 5:00 and 6:00pm and new members are always welcome!  Contact the library for more information – call 753-1042 or e-mail cortlandlib-ref@twcny.rr.com

“Blind Descent”

“Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth” by James Tabor will take you on a mesmerizing journey to try and find the deepest cave on earth. Following two world renowned cavers, Bill Stone of the United States and Alexander Klimchouk of the Ukraine, Tabor takes you into their world of thousand foot drops, mile long belly crawls, flooded tunnels and more. Add to that absolute darkness and other psychological horrors and you will find yourself astounded at what some people will willingly do. It would be my worst nightmare.

It is an unforgettable tale. If you liked “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer or if you enjoy books of exploration and adventure, you will have to read this. Highly recommended. – Jan

“In the Back Alleys of Aviation” Book Talk

Al Morris, who graduated from SUNY Cortland in 1965, will host this event. Mr. Morris (aka Ace Abbott) will talk about his book “The Rogue Aviator” which chronicles his 36 year career as a pilot for the Air Force and a pilot of corporate and commercial jets.

The author will be available to autograph copies of his book which will be for sale.

The book talk will take place Saturday, October 9 at 11:00 a.m. Free and open to the public (as are all library events).

Upcoming computer classes

There’s one class left in September, Explore the Internet, to be held on Wednesday, September 29 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. The session will be taught by Assistant Director, Jan Dempsey, who was a news researcher at The Post-Standard in Syracuse and wrote a column about the Internet called “In Search Of…” for the technology section of the newspaper.

This class is currently full but you can put your name on a waiting list.

In October we will offer three classes:

Tuesday, October 19: Introduction to the Computer – basic terminology, using the mouse & keyboard, starting programs and understanding window are some of the topics to be covered.

Wednesday, October 20: Beyond the Basics – a continuation of basic computer skills including copy & paste functions, organizing your files, creating, opening, modifying, and deleting files or folders, and introduction to Microsoft Word.

Wednesday, October 27: Find Out about Facebook – a demonstration of Facebook. Learn what it is, how it works, and how to stay safe. There will be an optional time to create your own Facebook account if you already have an email address.

The October classes will be from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. and will be taught by Amy Discenza, who received her Master of Library Science degree from Syracuse University this past May.

Pre-registration is required for all classes. Call 753-1042 to sign up.

“Will You Take Me As I Am”

The landmark album Blue by Joni Mitchell is a favorite of many of Mitchell’s fans. In extensive conversations with Mitchell, author Michelle Mercer has been able to explore what was going on in Mitchell’s life during that period and how her loves, her losses, her joy and her pain  influenced the songs of Blue.

I grew up listening to Joni Mitchell. Blue is probably my favorite album of all time. For those who are true fans of Joni Mitchell, this will be a compelling read. For any others, you most likely won’t be able to get into it. – Jan

Quote of the Day

“If information is the currency of democracy, then libraries are the banks. ” – Wendell Ford  

“The Harvard Psychedelic Club”

What do Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Huston Smith and Andrew Weil have in common? Many people don’t know that they crossed paths at Harvard University in the early 60s and were involved in a psychedelic drug research project that was sponsored by Harvard. They all went on to become well known in different fields yet their time at Harvard, according to author Don Lattin, was a defining moment in their lives.

This was a very interesting account of four men who made quite an impact on the lives of so many in the last 40 years especially in the fields of  religion and medicine. Recommended for those who want to take a “trip” down memory lane or for those who want to take a closer look at the 60s era and the lives of these four trailblazers. – Jan

“Beatrice and Virgil”

Yann Martel, author of the popular novel “Life of Pi,” has written another book with animals as characters.

Henry is an author (like Martel) whose first book was a flop, his second book a resounding success, and is having trouble with his third novel. His publishers don’t understand what the book is about. He receives a letter from a person who says he needs Henry’s help with a play that he is writing and includes some scenes with the letter. Intrigued, Henry contacts the writer and finds himself in the shop of an elderly taxidermist surrounded by stuffed animals.

As Henry discovers, the characters in the taxidermist’s play are really animals. Beatrice is a donkey, Virgil is a howler monkey, both stuffed now but once very much alive. As Henry and the taxidermist continue to meet, Henry is pulled into a mysterious and dangerous world.

I loved “Life of Pi.” Not so with this novel. I didn’t exactly hate it. I just didn’t understand what it was about until Martel hits you over the head with it near the end. And even then it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I kept waiting and hoping for something special in this book to inspire or enlighten or even just to entertain me. It did none of these. Not one of my favorites.

Jan

“Of Two Minds about Books”

Here’s a New York Times article about reading “paperbound”  books vs. e-reading. This discussion is not going to go away anytime soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02couples.html

I know this has implications for bookstores and libraries but the bottom line for me is information and literature is being produced and shared and I don’t care about the format. Some people will always prefer to hold a “real” book in their hands. Many more in the future will be comfortable with the e-readers. Some people have told me that listening to a book on cd cannot be considered reading. That’s hogwash. Would you tell a blind person that he has not read any books because he  listened to them?

Bookstores in the future will be selling more books to be displayed on e-readers. That’s OK. Newspapers will be read on the Internet too. That’s OK. Libraries will be offering more downloadable books for free. That’s OK too. Life is changing fast and we must adapt. I personally would miss holding a paperbound book in my hands but my grandchildren may not. I’m not too worried that “paper” books will go out of style in my lifetime. Hey, maybe in the future, libraries will be the place you will have to go to experience reading and touching a “real” book.  –  Jan

“Where Rivers Change Direction”

Author Mark Spragg has written a coming-of-age memoir, growing up on the oldest dude ranch in Wyoming in the 1960s. His was a difficult childhood. At age 11 he went to work for his father on the land, living in the bunkhouse with the other ranchhands. By 14, he is wrangling horses and leading customers on camping trips into the wilderness. He is confronted daily with the brutal realities of living and dying in such a harsh land.

On a scale of 1-5 I would give this a 6. Spragg’s writing is exceptional, almost poetic, and I relished every sentence. I can’t wait to read his novels. I loved this book!

Jan