Camano Island Library Pilot Project

2011 Favorites

2012-01-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for year-end lists, but I do like to recommend books I've enjoyed, so here's my low-key, no pressure look at some 2011 favorites.

First off would have to be "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. I don't think Harry Potter withdrawal is responsible for how much I enjoyed this book, though you might think that a novel about love-crossed magicians who are secretly locked in a battle to the death would have some Potter-ish echoes. It really doesn't, and the fact that it's Morgenstern's first book means we have a lot more to look forward to.

"The Tiger's Wife" by Tea Obrecht surprised me because a) the author is just a kid and I really expected to hate her, and b) it's set in Croatia, which I know nothing about. But boy, can the kid write! She deftly combines a war-torn road trip with fantastical stories told by the main character's grandfather.

"State of Wonder" is the latest from Ann Patchett, and it's a variation of "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. Steamy jungles and a woman who is very likely way over her head in a culture she doesn't understand.

"Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson actually came out in 2004, but I finally managed to read it last year. A minister writes a letter to his young son, sharing family history along with Bible lessons and hard-won wisdom. I really felt I knew the mind of this wonderful fictional character.

Finally, I REALLY loved "Mink River" by Brian Doyle. This is another one that surprised me, because I normally steer far clear of this type of mystical/romantic novel. But it feels like an essential Pacific Northwest text, with a poet's love for all things wet and gray, and the combination of Native American wisdom and Gaelic whimsy is pitch-perfect. I was so engrossed with the writing and the characters that when I got to the talking crow, I just went with it. My favorite of the year, and the one that I'll be torturing anyone within earshot by reading out loud!

Bookmark Party!

2011-11-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Bookmark Contest Winner Party!

On November 5th we had a fabulous gathering of families here to celebrate the winners of the Camano Island Library Pilot Project and Stanwood Library bookmark contest. Each winner received a certificate and art supplies to help further them along on their artistic career. Light refreshments of cupcakes and apples juice were enjoyed by all. The event was sponsored by the Camano Island Library Friends and the Stanwood/Camano Friends of the Library.

Camano Island Library Winners:

Shawna Lingrey, Intermediate (Grades 4-6)

Maya MacDonald, Primary (Grades 1-3)

Ruby Baker Lloyd, Preschool/Kindergarten

Stanwood Library Winners:

Leili VonBergen, Intermediate (Grades 4-6)

Samuel Erickson, Primary (Grades 1-3)

Blake Almanza, Preschool/Kindergarten

Our Own Mary Jennings, Now in "Library Journal"!

2011-10-27T16:53:00.001-07:00

Children’s Liaison Mary Jennings, who recently completed her master’s degree and is now a certified librarian, has been accepted as reviewer for Library Journal—the highly respected trade publication for libraries. Mary’s first review was published in the October issue. The biography, Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II was recently added to the Sno-Isle catatlog.

Biography

Eade, Philip. Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II. Holt. Nov. 2011. c.368p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780805095449. $28. BIOG
UK barrister and journalist Eade (Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters) presents a thorough and balanced account of the formative years of Queen Elizabeth II’s consort. While Gyles Brandreth’s recent Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage was a somewhat gossip-oriented look at the royal couple’s relationship, Eade’s biography, the first in over 20 years to focus on just Philip, examines the prince’s childhood in Greece and his young adulthood. After the complex family heritage, the pace picks up, and a compelling story unfolds of a youngster, shuttled among boarding schools and relatives, who matured into a strong and self-reliant young man. Less flattering allegations, such as Nazi connections among the prince’s extended family and his own womanizing, are provided in a fact-oriented rather than sensational manner. Whether describing Prince Philip’s distinguished naval service or his tendency toward public gaffes, Eade provides an insightful review of the early years of a key figure of England’s monarchy. VERDICT For royal watchers, especially in light of grandson Prince William’s recent nuptials and Philip’s own recent 90th birthday, this book will prove fascinating.—Mary A. Jennings, Sno-Isle Libs., Camano Island, WA

Picture It!

2011-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

"Picture It" is not only the theme for Teen Read Month, but it conveniently comes at a time when the Camano Island Library Pilot Project is "picturing" the library's future. Our recent site feasibility study was concluded and shared with the public at our Board meeting last week. Stop on by, take a look at the options presented, and let us know what you think!

Adult Summer Reading Pays Off Big Time

2011-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

This year's Adult Summer Reading was a hit! Patrons wrote reviews of books they read or listened to, and winners were chosen from all entries submitted. Camano's own Karen Schmidt won a B&N Nook eReader (courtesy of the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation) for her review of "The Reluctant Detective" by Martha Ockley. Congratulations, Karen, and thank you to all who participated.

Yummy Story Stew

2011-07-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

Children's Liaison Mary Jennings reports on a recent library program:

On Friday, July 15th the library was filled to the brim with happy families enjoying the songs and stories of acclaimed children’s performer Courtney Campbell. (Ms. Campbell is best known for her delightful TV series Mustard Pancakes—check out YouTube for some charming episodes.) The program, entitled Yummy Story Stew, began with a few interactive songs that had the entire audience joining in with gusto. Courtney then told several folk tales from around the world that had both young and old completely engaged. Ms. Campbell, an international performer, finished the program with a hilarious original song about a camel with runny nose she’d observed on a recent trip to Egypt. This wonderful family event was generously funded by the Friends of the Camano Island Library, the Sno-Isle Foundation and Viking Village.

What's the Best Part of Summer?

2011-07-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

Well, the weather wouldn't be my first choice, where here in the Northwest, you can usually tell it's summer because the rain is warmer.

Food would have been at the top of my list -- who doesn't love a barbeque? --- but my doctor has suggested I get more acquainted with leafy vegetables, so that's out.

Vacation? Nope, I'm working.

School's out! Hmmm, it's been a l-o-n-g time since I was in school, so that's not really a contender.

Yes, there's the outdoors, the beach, the ferry rides, the chance to hear music in the parks -- all of that is great, but my favorite part of summer is...all the extra time I manage to find. The days are long, there's nothing on TV, I've got a big pile of books and that old porch swing is calling.

Here are three of my recent favorites:

"Before I Go to Sleep" by S. J. Watson
Christine was involved in an accident that results in a particularly devastating form of amnesia: every morning, she wakes up in a strange house with a man who claims to be her husband, and every morning, he calmly explains to her about the accident and her memory loss. Eventually, she begins a journal to keep track of her occassional flashbacks -- but why do these flashbacks differ from what her husband has been telling her?

"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin
Two boys, one black, one white, are high school friends in Mississippi. Silas is the sports hero, and Larry is the book-ish outsider. Larry manages to get a date, but when the girl never returns home, Larry is blamed. Twenty years later, Silas is a recently-returned police officer, and once again, a girl disappears. Is Larry responsible? While the mystery element drives the plot, the story is really about friendship, betrayal and living with the consequences.

"Record Store Days: From Vinyl to Digital and Back Again" by Gary Calaman

Growing up, record stores were my favorite places to be (I even got to work in a few), so this collection of record store memories (and fantastic photos) is dear to my heart. The best part? The indie record stores that have managed to survive.

On Your Marks, Get Set --- READ!

2011-06-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last Leaf Productions present the Emperor and the Nightingale at Utsalady Elementary on 6/6

Camano Island Library’s Children’s Liaison Mary Jennings reports on the official beginning of the summer reading season:

On June 6th we had Last Leaf Productions present "The Emperor and the Nightingale" at Elger Bay & Utsalady elementary schools here on Camano. The students were completely engaged with the compelling way the actors presented this age-old folk tale. The programs, funded by the Sno-Isle Foundation, were presented to get students excited about summer reading. Research shows that kids who read consistently over the summer maintain the reading skills they work so hard to acquire during the school year. Public libraries have a long tradition of partnering with schools in order to keep children reading all summer long. Camano Island Library is no exception. We have a rich summer program that includes reading logs to help kids track their reading and a wide variety of entertaining shows (funded by the Camano Island Library Friends & the Sno-Isle Foundation, assisted by a grant from Viking Village) that are sure to get families into the library. We are also giving away fabulous prizes that include books, giant cookies, Aquasox tickets and a personal visit from the bookmobile. Please visit our website or stop by the library to get all the details about summer reading at the Camano Island Library.

New Hours! (With Apologies to George Carlin)

2011-05-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Based on your requests, the Camano Island Library Pilot Project will be changing our hours of operation starting June 6. We looked at patterns of use, and decided to trim some of our evening hours so we could be open on Mondays. So starting Monday the 6th, we'll be open Mondays 1-5, 10-7 Tuesday through Thursday, and the usual 10-5 on Friday and Saturday.

(As George might say, "What's new about Monday? It's been around for as long as I can remember!")

A Special Library Visit!

2011-05-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

The Camano Chapel kindergarten class visits the Camano Island Library Pilot Project for a storytime field trip. The Camano Chapel and other Camano Island preschool programs often visit the library for a special Ready Readers program facilitated by Children's Liaison Mary Jennings. The cute little "traffic turtles" provided by the Camano Island Friends (and Lois Sharpe) make sure drivers take it slow when kids are around the library.

When Is A Mystery Not A Mystery?

2011-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ahh, there's the mystery! Actually, I just couldn't come up with a clever answer to the question...
What brings this to mind are two books I recently read that I very much enjoyed. Both employ many of the literary devices we expect in mysteries, but each to different ends.

The first, "Started Early, Took My Dog" is the fourth of Kate Atkinson's novels featuring 'retired' detective Jackson Brodie. Her first in the series is "Case Histories", and upon its release, Stephen King raved that it not only was the best mystery of the year, it was the best of the decade. What I like so much about this series is that, yes, there are mysteries to be solved, but Atkinson also explores the mysteries of the human heart -- why do we do what we do? So much of the plot is delivered in interior monologues that the characters become fully fleshed out. You can start with any of the 4 books, but you'll get the full effect if you start at the beginning.

"Heads, You Lose" is a meta-comedy disguised as a mystery. Lisa Lutz and David Hayward previously dated, and Lisa (the more famous of the two) decides they can put the past behind them and collaborate on a mystery novel, each one writing alternate chapters. That part is true, mostly. What makes the book fun (and flat-out hilarious) is that upon this frame is hung an experiment in developing the story, AND commenting on how the writing goes back and forth. Lisa and David become fictionalized versions of themselves in the book as they each make snarky asides about the other's plot twists and quirky characters. David introduces a character Lisa hates, so she kills him off when it's her turn for the next chapter. And suprsisingly, the actual story itself makes for good reading too.

So there you go -- two very different takes on the mystery tale that still manage to scratch you where you itch (mysteriously speaking). Enjoy!

Congrats, "Room" !

2011-04-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

The winners of the 2011 Indies Choice Book Awards have been announced, and the adult fiction winner is "Room" by Emma Donoghue. I really wanted to read it, but the subject matter (kidnapping, rape) gave me pause. I finally tackled it, and I'm so glad I did. The story is told by five-year old Jack, who now shares the 11-foot square space with Ma. Donoghue manages to make the story sweet, exciting, and even a bit humorous, despite the ghastly situation. All Jack knows of the world is Room and his perception of what lies outside Room reminded me of the narrator of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Mark Haddon.

Here's a link for a list of the rest of the Indies Choice Book Awards.

Author & Illustrator Road Trip to Elger Bay Elementary

2011-03-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Mary Jennings, our Camano Island Library Pilot Project Children's Liaison, reports on a recent school event:

Camano Island children’s author Carole Lexa Schaefer and Whidbey Island children’s author/illustrator Pierr Morgan presented a Young Authors Workshop to 60 fourth and fifth graders at Elger Bay Elementary on March 14. The program, which was facilitated by the Camano Island Library Pilot Project and funded by the Camano Island Library Friends, provided an overview of the collaborative process between an author and illustrator when creating a children’s picture book. Schaefer and Morgan, who have published over 40 books, demonstrated how an idea for a story is developed and then published into an actual book. They also described the importance of imagination and keeping a journal of thoughts about potential stories.

Additionally, the team discussed the need for perseverance and patience when working with book publishing companies. Schaefer and Morgan read several of their books including their latest "Who’s There", which will be published in June. The students were given the hands-on activity of creating a “dummy”—the folded paper that is a model for a picture book. Throughout the workshop, the children were encouraged to ask questions about the creative process. Schaefer and Morgan were delighted with the students’ level of interest in book publishing. Both felt sure that there were many future authors and illustrators in attendance. Schaefer’s and Morgan’s books are available at the Camano Island Library.

An Inside Look

2011-03-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

As library people (and book lovers), we're constantly on the lookout for news, recommendations and (of course) gossip. I'll share with you one of my favorite go-to sites: Northwest Book Lovers.
Not only will you find featured books and authors, but you can visit local independent bookstores (Stanwood's Snow Goose Bookstore was featured a few months back), check out some publisher news blogs, see what super-librarian Nancy Pearl is up to, find out about author events in the area -- and visit one of my favorite sites, Awful Library Books. Just like in your garden, librarians have to regularly 'weed' the bookshelves, getting rid of the books that are too old, too ugly or just plain wrong. Check out the comments too -- some people really get worked up!

George Washington: Totally Awesome General!

2011-02-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

Washington's Birthday is coming up soon (February 22), and I realized I don't know a whole lot about George Washington. Yeah, I know cherry tree, throwing money across the river, wooden teeth, and Father of His Country but not much else. So I did a little research and found out among other things, he was TOTALLY awesome as a military strategist. Want proof? Try this: "Historians debate whether or not Washington preferred a Fabian strategy[67] to harass the British, with quick shark attacks..." Shark attacks! That would be so cool! (I did more research about the Fabian strategy. I thought it involved blaring insipid 1950's pop to demoralize the troops, but that wasn't it.)
Okay, I'm guessing that George did not employ sharks to attack British troops, but that's what Wikipedia says. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_washington) No kidding. The lesson? Verify the validity of your sources. You can start by clicking on the "Databases and Research" tab at the top of the Sno-Isle home page. Trusted sources, verified by real librarians.
But I know I'm gonna think of the music from "Jaws" come this February 22nd...

So Long CARL, It's Been Real Good to Know You

2011-01-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

After many years of service to Sno-Isle Libraries, CARL will soon be retiring. And as much as I appreciate CARL's good work over the years, I'm very excited about his replacement. Now before you think I'm being callous about a loyal staff member's departure, I should explain that CARL is our Integrated Library System; it's our catalog, our patron database, it's what we use to make the library work for you.

CARL is retiring because the manufacturer will no longer support the system with future upgrades, so after an exhaustive process of questioning vendors and kicking a few tires, we'll be soon upgrading to the Polaris system. Polaris has a lot of great features that I'm pretty sure you'll really like. For instance, don't you hate it when you take a vacation and all your hold requests show up when you're gone --- and then get sent back before you return? Polaris has a feature that lets you put your holds in a 'sleep' mode, so you don't lose your place in line, and you don't miss any holds.

That's just one of the features in Polaris, and we're still learning about all the cool things it can do to make your library experience new, improved, easy and powerful. Polaris is more efficient than CARL (sorry, CARL!) so we are spending your tax dollars smartly to provide you with the optimum value into the 21st century.

Where's That Jetpack I Was Promised?

2010-12-29T11:39:00.001-08:00

Here we are on the cusp of 2011, thinking of the future, and I wonder, where's the future we were promised? You know, zipping around in flying cars, living on Mars -- the stuff of sci-fi films and World's Fair displays. Not to dismiss the future we live in now, with music coming from devices the size of matchboxes (oops, sorry kids, you're asking "What's a matchbox??") For a look back at the future we were expecting try these 2 titles, available (on paper!) from your library.

Another Holiday Tradition

2010-12-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone has seen "A Christmas Carol" (my favorite's the Alastair Sim version), and of course "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (the soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi alone would make it a classic). But one of my favorite Christmas episodes is tucked away in the series 2 collection of "All Creatures Great and Small", the series based on the books by British vet James Herriott. The episode is "Merry Gentlemen", and among the plot strands (Siegfried tries to cure a gypsy family's donkey without offering 'charity', Tristan wonders what lies behind the mysterious locked door in the vet's house, and Mrs. Pumphrey's spoiled terrier Tricki Woo suffers the results of too much pampering) is my favorite scene. A visit to the Hewison farm traditionally features a taste of Mrs. Hewison's Christmas cake, but this year, Mrs. Hewison is determined to find out whether Siegfried is just being polite when he praises her cooking. Even though we've seen it probably a dozen times, it's still the height of suspense as Siegfried takes a bit of cake and mulls his response. If you haven't seen it, quick, put it in your holds queue!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2010-12-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

It usually starts in October. I'm not talking about ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night. No, I'm talking about something far more bone-chilling: holiday music. I'm truly afraid that if I hear Mariah Carey screaming "O Holy Night" in tones only dogs can hear just one more time, my brain will explode.

Now I really do have many, many favorite songs I enjoy over the holidays, but is there any other season with as much bad music associated with it? I don't think so. I shudder when Grandpa insists on dragging the Bing Crosby records out of the closet. And "A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra" -- where's the jolly? His singing on at least half of the album is positively sepulchral!

Don't get me wrong, I'm really not a grinch. This time of year is full of chances for warm family gatherings and profound personal changes.

All I ask this holiday season is the gift of peace -- and quiet.

And while it's probably too late to check these out this year, these and many other sounds of the season are available from your library!

How Do We Maintain a Popular Culture?

2010-11-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

I was raised in part by Captain Kangaroo, a children's television host whose show featured a lot of music, from children's songs and folk songs to some of the building blocks of the classical music repertoire. The other day during Storytime as Mary led the kids through a song, I wondered "Where else can kids today learn the basic, bedrock songs like 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' or 'Old MacDonald'?" Sure, there's Sesame Street, but they feature mostly original material. I mean, it's not like a kid can download "This Old Man" into their iPod.

I work with another library on a project to promote their jazz music collection, and I thought the same thing: what a wonderful resource the library is for providing exposure to all sorts of music. You need to know about Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis --- and the library is the place, whether it's jazz, classical or knick-knack paddywhack!

Get Him to the Floyd!

2010-10-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

Okay, it's not the Greek, but we had a great time with author Jamie Ford at our Stanwood/Camano: Together We Read Event at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center in Stanwood. Our community read was "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", and as you can see here, we had a great turnout.

Earlier, Jamie spoke to almost 200 Stanwood High School students who were eager to hear about how he came to write his novel (and to learn some tricks of the writing trade, too.) He was utterly engaging, generous and very funny. If you missed out, you can catch him at the Edmonds Library this Friday October 15 at 7PM.

Save the Date!

2010-09-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

October will be here before you know it, so mark your calendars for Tuesday October 12, when author Jamie Ford speaks at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center in Stanwood at 7 PM. This is our 3rd "Stanwood/Camano: Together We Read" community read event, and we're pretty excited that "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" is this year's book. "Hotel" is a novel set in Seattle during World War II, as Japanese-American citizens are being uprooted from their communities and sent to live in internment camps. It's a love story, a family story -- and even a look at the Seattle jazz scene of the time.
This event is funded by the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation, the Stanwood Camano Friends of the Library, the Camano Island Library Friends, the Washington State Library, and the Sno-Isle Foundation.

Summer Reading from the Other Side of the Desk

2010-08-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

At the Library, we really encourage kids to read during the summer; it's a great way to keep the brain tuned up and ready for the start of school in the fall. Sometimes I feel jealous of the kids leaving with their stack of books. I have a stack too, but it's usually loaded with things I have to read for work. This summer I finally decided to read what I want to read, so...I'm halfway through "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"!

I started in July with Book 1 and I'm planning on getting through all 7 books before the fall (and I wanted to be ready for the next Harry Potter movie, too.)
Even though the films have to trim some of the story, they do a great job of fulfilling J K Rowling's vision of Hogwarts and all the great characters in Harry's life -- and by finally reading the books, my Harry Potter experience is so much richer. Now I'm as excited about "summer reading" as the kids!

Some Surprising Library Statistics (Well, Maybe Not...)

2010-08-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Recently OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) published statistics gathered from 719 libarians from 23 states, and the numbers may surprise you. Did you know that more people visit the library each year than attend movies? Speaking of movies, libraries are close to beating Netflix in DVD use (Netflix rentals: 2.2 million; DVDs borrowed from libraries: 2.1 million). Every day, 300,000 Americans get job-seeking help at their public library: there are 3,000 Department of Labor Career Centers, but 13,000 libraries offering career assistance.
Yes, these figures may be startling to some, but those of us who work in libraries aren't the least bit surprised!

Where the Wet Things Are

2010-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Another great program, this time featuring Bob Kanegis as the Tales and Trails Storyteller. Here's Bob entertaining some kids at the Camano Island Library with stories -- when he's not playing the accordion and squeezing out a tune!

A Campfire...in the Library??

2010-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Up in the hill country of Darrington, they have some mighty peculiar ways. Why, just today, Mrs. Green from the Darrington Library built this campfire smack dab in middle of our children's area!

Okay, so it wasn't a real campfire, just part of "Fireside Fun and Fables", another program that's part of Summer Reading at the Camano Island Library. Friday, July 16 at 1PM, it's "Where the Wet Things Are" --- you think I should I wear a raincoat?

More Summer Fun

2010-07-08T18:33:00.001-07:00

Well it looks like summer has finally arrived, and we've got just the thing to keep you entertained. On Friday July 9, The Puppets Please Marionettes will be at the Library starting at 1PM. On Wednesday July 14 at 11AM, one of our librarians will present "Fireside Fun and Fables", and on Friday July 16 at 1PM, enjoy "Where the Wet Things Are" presented by Tales and Trails Storytellers.

But wait, there's more! "Experimenting With Water" 11AM on Wednesday July 21, Giraffe and Staff Puppet Show on Friday July 23 at 1PM, and "Beat the Heat!" on Wednesday July 28 at 11AM.

And finally, to express our thanks to the Camano community for supporting our little library, a Thank You Camano Celebration on Saturday August 21, from 12-3. We'll have some ice cream, children's games, a chance to win a quilt or some pottery in our raffle, free books for joining the Camano Island Library Friends, and a family-friendly performance of songs by Sno-Isle's own troubadour, Bryan Stratton at 1PM. Hope to see you there!

And Now We Are Three!

2010-06-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

It's the 3rd birthday for the Camano Island Library Pilot Project, and we celebrated with birthday cake and a rousing performance by Rick Meyers, playing the banjo, the spoons, the jaw harp, a teeny tiny harmonica, the nose flute --- and the saw!

Cliffhangers

2010-06-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, when I'd visit middle schools to booktalk to the kids, one of the things they complained about was J K Rowling, specifically "Why does it take so long for the next Harry Potter book to come out??!" I'd smile that wise, irritating smile and tell them how much fun anticipation is, and they'd be telling their children some day about how they'd be so eager for the next HP saga to arrive. "When I was your age", I'd say (and they'd roll their eyes), "we couldn't wait for the next Beatles album to come out. It's not like today when you can walk into Best Buy and buy them all at once."
Well now it's my turn, and it really is no fun. I finished the latest Lee Child (Jack Reacher) novel, and I won't spoil the ending --- but it's his first cliffhanger. The next book deosn't come out until October! How can I wait that long?
And don't get me started on "The Girl Who Played With Fire" -- I'm going crazy waiting to get my hands on the sequel "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". But as much as I complain, I remember what I told the school kids: "Isn't it great to be this excited about reading?"

"Face Front, True Believers!"

2010-05-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

If, like me, you are of a certain age, then you'll most likely recognize the quote above as one of Stan Lee's favorite phrases. "Who's Stan Lee?" you ask? Well, if you've heard of Spider-Man, Iron Man or the X-Men, then you know Stan Lee. You could say what Miles Davis is to jazz, Stan Lee is to comics. Some fans grumble that Stan has received more than his fair share of the credit, and it's certainly true that artists Steve Ditko (Spider-Man) and Jack Kirby (Fantastic Four) weren't always given their share of the spotlight. I skimmed through a few biographies lately and found the behind-the-scenes tales fascinating. With Iron Man topping the box office, the timing is perfect to learn more about Marvel Comics and the origins of some of comicdom's greatest creations. 'Nuff said!

Another Thing That Makes Us A Little Different

2010-05-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Camano Island Library Pilot Project was a departure for Sno-Isle Libraries because our collection of books, CDs and DVDs is a dedicated browsing collection, meaning unlike other branches, our collection stays at Camano -- our books don't get sent to other branches to fill holds. One reason for that is because our browsing collection consists mostly of the newest popular materials, and if they picked up holds, like Old Mother Hubbard, our shelves would soon be bare!

But another difference about the Camano branch is our rotating art collection. I've been told that Camano Island has more artists per capita than anywhere else, and while I can't find the numbers to back that up, it sure seems very possibly true. And not only are Camano artists plentiful, they're generous too. We had so many wonderful art pieces donated for our recent auction, and Jack Archibald's motley crew (The South End Cultural Oxymorons) loans us all the art you see in the library. Even if you never check anything out, you still should stop in once in a while to see what's hanging on the walls. We love it!

It's All In The Marketing

2010-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard the term "backlist" before; it's how the book trade refers to older, catalog titles. Just like in the music business, where the CD companies endlessly repackage classical music ("Dinner With Mozart", "Mozart for Babies", "Lose Weight With Mozart"), the book industry loves backlist because since the initial costs were recouped long ago, it's a minimal investment to slap on a new cover and sell it again. And that's even more attractive when it's a public domain title, long past copyright protection. These are what we sometimes call "the classics", and it's basically free money for the publishers -- no pesky authors to pay, no expensive advertising campaign. There's now a series called "Twilight Editions", featuring "Wuthering Heights", "Jane Eyre" and "Romeo and Juliet" with the iconic red and black Twilight marketing touch.
But there are other ways to make an old classic fresh and shiny -- graphic novels. To find more 'classic' graphics, search our catalog using the title and the term 'graphic novel' in a keyword search. Who knew that Shakespeare could still be cool?

Dreaming of a Different Island

2010-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I know nothing about Hawaiian music, but I'm starting to learn. Maybe I should explain how this came up: my wife and I were tossing around ideas for a tea bar. I remember a book I checked out a while back about surf culture, and there was a chapter on tiki culture. Hey, what about a Tea-ki Bar? You could serve exotic teas, maybe pipe in some Island music...so naturally I turned to the library. There I found just the right books to learn more about tiki culture, Hawaiian music and exotic drinks. Who woulda guessed?

Whew!

2010-03-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well the dust is beginning to settle from our Friend's auction last week --- and it looks like we have enough funding to remain open for the next 2 years. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to everyone who worked so hard to pull this off, for everyone who donated auction items, for everyone who generously donated cash -- and thank you to everyone who attended the auction and bid! So...what's next? Members of our Advisory Board and the Friends of the Library will meet to discuss a vision for what a permanent facility on Camano might look like, then they'll share that vision with the residents of Camano for advice and suggestions. It's the start of the next phase of The Little Library That Could!

Why are the Friends Holding an Auction?

2010-02-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

The Camano Island Library Pilot Project is so called because initially we were only funded for 3 years, with our lease due to run out at the end of June 2010. The plan was to gauge interest in the Camano community for a permanent facility, to be funded by a library bond measure. We would have run a bond campaign before now, but the economy took a nosedive and it seemed the time wasn't right. Our Friends group worked out an agreement with the Sno-Isle Board to extend our lease until such time as a successful bond is passed. Part of that agreement is a promise that the Friends will raise at least $20,000 a year to help offset the cost of the lease. Thus, "Reading Between the Vines" a dinner and auction 5 PM Saturday March 20 at the Camano Island Community & Senior Center to benefit the Camano Island Library. Tickets on sale now, and you can view the auction items they've collected so far here.

Romance for Dummies (Yeah, YOU, pal!)

2010-01-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Pop quiz, gentlemen: what's the most important day in February? If you said Super Bowl Sunday, then listen up, because you really need my help. The most important day in February is the 14th, Valentine's Day. Now you may whine and claim it's all hype to sell cards and candy, but that's not an argument you can win. Just man up and make some plans. "It's more romantic to be spontaneous" you say. Maybe if you're George Clooney and you can jet to some romantic hideaway, but you and I are not in that league, and planning ahead is the only game for us. So...what's for dinner (you did realize you are cooking, right?) If you're confident in the kitchen, try The Best Places to Kiss Cookbook. Otherwise, keep it simple. Try How to Cook Without a Book. Roast a chicken; it's really easy and the whole house will smell delicious. Next, background music. If you don't have a clue, try Getz/Gilberto or Songs for Swingin' Lovers.

Well, that's a start. You're on your own from here. Relax and have a good time. You can thank me later.

Library Auction Coming Up!

2010-01-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

Our Friends group has been very busy planning a fund-raising auction in March for the Library, and when they first discussed the idea, March seemed a long way off. Now it's less than 10 weeks away -- yikes! Circle the date on your calendar: Saturday March 20, 2010 at 5PM. Dinner, a live auction, many silent auction items, with our Master of Ceremonies, ol' Skeeter Daddle himself, Jack Archibald -- how you you even think of missing it?
Stop by the library or the Camano Island Library Friends website for more information!

Meet Bunny Crumpacker!

2010-01-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know that sounds like a children's book character, but she's actually the author of several cookbooks, including her latest "How to Slice an Onion". I like to think of myself as a good cook (even though I'm really not) and I enjoyed her book immensely, not just for the recipes, but for the advice, humor and just plain good writing that makes up this collection. Like spending the afternoon with a wise friend who really knows how to cook.

It's all a matter of perspective...

2009-12-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

In the last week, I've spent way too much money at places I don't usually frequent: the tire store and the dentist. Had to get a set of new tires (at the tire store, of course) and a crown and work done on some fillings (I'll let you guess). What I found amusing about both visits (well, as amused as you can be when somebody has a drill in your mouth -- yes, at the dentist!) -- is that in both places, the world seemed to revolve around either tires or teeth. Now, don't get me wrong, they're both very important, but I really don't think about either all that much, so the idea that they could figure so prominently in a world view was intriguing to me.

Here at the Library, I spend a lot of time thinking about books. What's new, what will happen to books in the future, will everbody be reading online instead of 'in print' -- you might say I get a little obsessed. My visits to the tire store and the dentist made me realize that maybe I was losing perspective on the Big Picture.

So my hope for you in this holiday season is that you get a chance to take a deep breath, step back, and think about what's really important to you. And if you need help, I'm sure I can find a book for you!

Local authors coming in December

2009-11-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

Please join us Friday December 11 at 3 PM for local authors Heidi M. Thomas and Mary E. Trimble, both of whom have recently published novels with a Western theme.
Heidi M. Thomas' novel "Cowgirl Dreams" is based on her grandmother who rode steers in Montana rodeos during the 1920s. The book is suitable for both adult and young adult readers. Thomas writes, edits and teaches writing classes in Mount Vernon.
Award-winning Camano Island author Mary E. Trimble is the author of two books, "Rosemount" and "McClellan's Bluff". Her soon to be released romantic suspense novel "Tenderfoot" intertwines modern day ranching, a developing love story, and the events of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
This promises to be a fun afternoon. Copies of the books will be available for purchase.

"Good Food" film in Stanwood

2009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Join director Melissa Young as she introduces the film "Good Food", an intimate look at the farmers, ranchers, and businesses that are creating a more sustainable food system in the Pacific Northwest. The film will be shown at 7PM at the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center, and Melissa will be on hand to answer your questions.

"Plenty" of Events Too

2009-09-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at our "Plenty" calendar:

Tuesday September 22, at 7PM, Snow Goose Bookstore hosts a book discussion group.

Join us Thursday, October 8 "Together We Eat" 7 PM at the Floyd Norgaard Center in Stanwood as we feature a panel discussion of local farmers and foodies.

Saturday October 10, it's time for pumpkin painting at the Williams Pioneer Pumpkin Patch from 1-3 pm.

Wednesday October 14, the Stanwood Library reading group meets at Merrill Gardens at 6PM.

The film "Good Food" will be shown at the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center at 7PM on Monday October 26. Join us as filmakers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young present their film and answer your questions.

Lots of "Plenty"

2009-08-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

We're gearing up for our next Stanwood/Camano: Together We Read community read, which will be "Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet" by Alisa Smith and J. B. Mackinnon. What's the 100 mile diet? The authors experimented for 1 year to see if they could eat only food produced within 100 miles of their home (Vancouver B.C., in their case.)Could they pull this off -- and actually enjoy themselves in the process?
We'll be announcing programs very soon, including a showing of the film "Good Food" and a panel discussion featuring local farmers, restaurant owners and more. Check back soon for more details!

Can't Keep a Good Zombie Down

2009-08-01T12:01:00.001-07:00

Vampires have been doing very well for themselves recently, but zombies have been making a comeback of their own lately. And these aren't your grandfather's zombies, shuffling along at a glacial pace. No sir, the new breed of zombie is amped up and eager to have you for lunch. The most recent (and heretofore unlikely) appearance is in the recent literary mash-up "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies".
What could possibly be next? "A Tale of Two Cities and Werewolves"?

Best Kids' Books -- Ever?

2009-07-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

A recent column in the New York Times about the "summer slide" featured a list of 13 Best Kids' Books (according to Nicholas Kristof). He mentions the importance of summer reading because tests have shown that without intellectual stimulation in the summer, kids lose 2 months of reading level. Here's his list, in order of difficulty from easier to harder:
1. "Charlotte's Web"
2. Hardy Boys series
3. "The Wind in the Willows"
4. Freddy the Pig series
5. Alex Rider series
6. Harry Potter series
7. "Gentle Ben"
8. "Anne of Green Gables"
9. "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be"
10. "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (hmmm, good luck with that one...)
11. "On to Oregon"
12. "The Prince and the Pauper"
13. "Lad, a Dog"

The Power Of Potter

2009-07-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

According to the Hollywood Reporter, advance ticket sales for the new Harry Potter movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (which opens Wednesday July 15) have outpaced sales for the newest Transformers movie and the previous HP movie. A poll of ticket buyers revealed that 85% have read all 7 Harry Potter books! And since the final book will be filmed in 2 installments, we'll get an extra movie out of the deal. Woo-hoo!

How to Enjoy Road Construction

2009-06-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, and with all due respect to Nat King Cole, I'm not talking about those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, I'm talking about being stuck in the car when every road you're on is under some kind of construction. Even now from the circulation desk, I can see a line of cars stretched out past the library.
So how can the library help? Well, we can't do anything about the road work, but we can entertain you in your car. We have lots of books on CD (I'm listening to a recording of "The House at Pooh Corner" and trying to imitate the character voices -- I can pull off a passable Eeyore, no surprise.) I also bring along my harmonica so I can play along to our fantatstic collection of blues CDs (Sonny Boy Williamson watch out!) And of course I have a New Yorker or two set aside just for the car. I know what you're thinking ("I never want to get stuck in a car with THAT guy!") but I manage to amuse myself, the best way to avoid stress. Stop by the Library (if you can get through) and pick up some travel de-stressers.

Silly Old Bear

2009-05-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

A while back we were pulling books off the shelves to reallocate, and I found a copy of "Winnie-the-Pooh". Mary asks me "Do kids still read that?" After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I thought about her question. I couldn't imagine a childhood without Winnie-the-Pooh, or other classic characters like Mole, Rat and Mr Toad from "The Wind in the Willows". Could it be that I remembered them through the haze of the past, and a rereading would break the spell?
So I finished, "Winnie-the-Pooh" yesterday, read chapters from "The Wind in the Willows", and am doling out bits of "The House at Pooh Corner" to myself, and I'm happy to report that the books have held up admirably. Sweet without being cloying, clever without irony, and simple without being childish. As an adult, though, I find a sense of melancholy in the books, an unspoken admission that childhood must someday end.
And as far as whether kids still read them, I remember a customer review a little boy wrote for "Winnie-the-Pooh" at the bookstore where I worked, and he said the book was "true" -- and I think I know exactly what he meant.

Camano Island Library featured at the Washington State Library!

2009-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

The Washington State Library features a continuing education program online called First Tuesdays, from 9-10 AM on, you guessed it, the First Tuesday of the month. On May 5, the feature presentation is us, the Camano Island Library Pilot Project. The topic is all about our innovative "bookstore marketing" approach to library service. We'll be wired for sound as we present a Powerpoint look at our branch and our sister "browsing branch" in Clinton, and after the live program, the archive will be available online to listen to. Check it out at First Tuesdays.

It's not all Johnny Depp

2009-04-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Pirates have been in the news a lot lately, and unfortunately, they don't act anything like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow character from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Pirates have been mythologized over the years, and of course, much of how we think about pirates is based on Hollywood fiction. Walking the plank? Sorry. Buried treasure? Nope. But don't take my word for it, matey. Check out these books for the REAL story!
History of Pirates

Pirates!

A Greener Spring?

2009-03-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today the White House announced that, for the first time since the Roosevelt era, there would be an actual (organic) vegetable garden on the White House grounds. Here at the library, we've seen an increase in interest about vegetable gardening as a method of supplementing the family budget. I think it's one of those 'tipping point' moments, where a combination of economic hardship, concern about a healthy lifestyle, and the increasing reliance on fossil fuels to truck in produce results in a revitalized "home grown" approach to eating.

And of course, growing it yourself means no pesticides or genetic modification -- and gardening is a great form of exercise.

Stop by the library or search our catalog online -- we have lots of information to get you started.

Programs, Get Your Programs Here

2009-03-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Our Library is tiny but we manage to squeeze a lot of activity into the space we have. This week we had 2 great programs: Ford Giesbrecht brought his guitar to demonstrate the elements of songwriting, and Sarah Schmidt and Dan Pedersen talked about their book "Getting to the Water's Edge on Whidbey and Camano Islands". We're very lucky to have so many talented and generous folks in the area willing to share their expertise. We don't have room for anything fancy, but I don't think you can beat hearing someone share their passion. We hope that folks around here will think of us as an extension of their living room, a place to swap stories with friends, and yes, maybe even bring out the guitar.
Check our calendar in the library or online for our next round of programs. We look forward to seeing you!

At the Water's Edge

2009-02-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Even in the coldest weather, I take advantage of the Library's proximity to water every chance I get. I mentioned this on the blog a while back, but lately current events has made me realize anew the value of time spent outdoors, moments to reflect and refresh.

To enhance your beach visit, we have some very useful resources available at the Library, starting with Getting to the Water's Edge on Whidbey & Camano Islands by Sarah Schmidt, Dan Pedersen and Stacy Neumiller. (Make plans to attend the authors' program at the Library on Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 PM.)

You'll want to have a good field guide handy, perhaps the
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Western Region, the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, or the pocket-sized Birds of the Puget Sound Region by Robert Morse. I've mentioned Birdnote before, a short radio program I listen to just before 9 AM on KPLU (the Birdnote website is loaded with previous shows and useful links). Also very informative are sites from the Friends of Camano Island Parks and Skagit Audubon.

All these resources (and many more the Library can provide) can make your beach visit fun and educational, though I usually just bring my lunch!

Old School Children's Favorites

2009-01-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Just have to give a plug to a fellow Sno-Isle Libary's program: Marysville Library will host a program Monday January 26 at 10:15 featuring David Newell, known to boomers as Mr. McFeely of the Speedy Delivery Service from Fred Rogers' neighborhood. One thing about children's television programming is that it often has fans in 2 or more generations. Fred Rogers was after my time as a child (I was a Captain Kangaroo fan myself), but I grew to love his show when my son was born. We even had a tape of music director Johnny Costa playing his jazzy songs, proof to me that even the littlest kids could enjoy and appreciate good music.

One of the things I miss is the loss of local children's programming. It was always a treat to visit family "back East" and see the talent at their local TV station (okay, so they were mostly just there to run the cartoons, but I can still remember how to do Bungles the Clown's wave!) Local favorites JP Patches, Brakeman Bill, Wunda Wunda -- all retired due to age or economics.

So if you have time, get over to the Marysville Library on Monday, and give Mr. McFeely a big "thank you!".
(Hmmm, I wonder if I can find some Tom Terrific cartoons on YouTube...)

Entertainment for kids of all ages

2008-12-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of working in the library is the chance I get to see our family programs. With the generous assistance of the Hafer Family Foundation and the Sno-Isle Foundation, we've been lucky enough to feature some great performers, either here in the library or out at the local elementary schools. If you missed our most recent programs, you can always check out their webpages for music, games, and much more: visit Eric Ode (a Camano Island Library favorite) or the Board of Education, who performed here at the library in early December.
And guess what? Mary's already planning more fun for 2009!

Meet the author -- online!

2008-12-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

The image of the reclusive author, scribbling alone in a garret, is a romantic notion, and while the writing may still take place in solitude, more and more authors are using the internet to meet their fans online. The degree that the author is actively involved with content varies; some sites are written by publishers or even the fans themselves, while other sites are fully the author's creation. Northwest mystery author Jo Dereske maintains her own page (http://www.jodereske.com/) with a newsletter, excerpts from her books, and even recipes. Tom Robbins' site, on the other hand, is put together by a few rabid fans (www.rain.org/~da5e/tom_robbins.html). These sites run the gamut, so if you're a fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Stephenie Meyer, check out their webpages for news -- and maybe even a chance to write a note to the author!

Bonus! A note from Mary Witter, an editor at the Tom Robbins site:

Rabid?? Why the negative connotation? Informative, dedicated, vibrant, playful, passionate, loyal--all of these words would not only be more descriptive, but more accurate of afTRlife.com (the Tom Robbins online site)and of the readers who gather there. Though many authors have tried, none have come close to Tom Robbins's mastery of vivid metaphore, philosophical depth and vibrant vocabulary woven together in a playful, intelligent style. We welcome all Robbins readers to afTRlife.com and encourage lively discussion.

I stand corrected, Mary, and I encourage everyone to check out the site: www.afTRlife.com

Reacting to "The Year of Magical Thinking"

2008-11-22T11:18:00.001-08:00

Our reading group (The Third Thursday Camano Island Library Readers) met on a wet and windy morning this week to discuss Joan Didion's book "The Year of Magical Thinking". Didion's memoir details her year of mourning after her husband's sudden death and her daughter's hospitalization. (Her daughter subsequently died just prior to publication of the book.) I was not looking forward to this discussion, and the dreary weather certainly didn't put me in a better frame of mind. It's one thing to talk about a great book, but quite another to deal with the feelings that Didion's exploration of grief dredges up. It turned out that all of us in the group were apprehensive, but we felt safe in the group to share our personal stories of loss.

We here in Library Land always mention "community center" as one of the features of a good library, and it was really brought home again to me as I listened to the sharing around the table. Sometimes I think we tend to focus on the big crowds we can draw, but a small gathering like this reminded me that a quality event can be as simple as 4 or 5 people gathered around a table, listening to each others' stories as the rain rattles against the windows.

Favorite first lines?

2008-11-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

The opening sentence of a novel is the hook for most of us, the first chance for the author to grab our attention, and a great first line is priceless. My favorites?
James Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice": "They threw me off the hay truck about noon."

And who can forget George Orwell's first sentence from "1984": "It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen."

Or from Garcia Marquez' "One Hundred Years of Solitude": "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternnoon when his father took him to discover ice."

A great opening sentence piques your curiosity, makes you hungry for more. Sometimes, though, it's just the delight in a well-crafted sentence: "Often he thought: My life did not begin until I knew her", from "Mr. Bridge" by Evan S. Connell.

Entertainingly scary

2008-10-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

The news is certainly scary enough these days, but I still find time to scare myself even more with a dip into the tradition of the classic English ghost story. Sno-Isle has some great collections, including "Ghost Stories" edited by Peter Washington (which includes "Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad", one of the best by master of the macabre M.R. James), and "The Norton Book of Ghost Stories", which features "The Beckoning Fair One" by Oliver Onions, a tale of psychological unraveling that's in my Top Ten. Edward Gorey, no stranger to the bizarre and frightening, put together a great collection titled "The Haunted Looking Glass". You may have noticed that I've neglected the modern masters of terror, but that's just me -- give me a stormy night and a dusty old volume anytime!

Windfall

2008-09-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Publishers gear up for the Christmas season by glutting the market with their new fall releases. Not every title will be a hit, of course -- that part is up to you (and maybe Oprah...)
The floodgates have opened and we're packing the shelves (and mixing our metaphors). So far we're seeing new titles by Brad Meltzer, Philippa Gregory, John Saul, Karin Slaughter, C J Box and more to come.
Forecasters have been predicting doom and gloom for the publishing industry for quite a while now, partly because publishers seem to have chosen as their business model the music industry (which is in its own state of free fall.) What are the music industry rules for failure that publishers have adopted? Don't build author careers, just get lucky with a gazillion selling author like Dan "Da Vinci Code" Brown. Pay first-time authors outrageous advances that almost guarantee that they won't be able to earn it back in book sales. Follow trends, because with this much money involved, it's too dangerous to attempt to publish something different. Save money instead by cutting back editorial staff and relying on the accounting department to make publishing decisions.
For now, though, there are plenty of great books headed our way, and as long as people are reading, that trend will continue.

In a tight spot!

2008-08-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

12 year old Yousif Wheeler has found what he considers the best spot in the library for wi-fi reception. As we continue to get busier, our internet stations are in use most of the day, so our free wi-fi access is another way to log on to the internet -- and despite Yousif's discovery, may I recommend a chair?

Dog Days at the Library?

2008-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

We're in the "dog days of summer" right now, a term that started when the ancient Greeks thought that Sirius the Dog Star exerted influence on us poor humans sweating it out in the heat. (Those of us on Camano wonder what that's like.) Personally I wonder what kind of ego it takes to call yourself "the Dog Star" -- I never heard Lassie referred to as "Lassie the Great".

Now cats, well that's a different story altogether...

On to Year Two!

2008-07-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, what a day! Saturday June 28th marked our first year of library service on Camano Island, and we had a great book sale & bake sale to celebrate. Thanks to the Camano Island Library Friends for their hard work, and thanks to the South End String Band, Bill Testerman our balloon artist, and the Camano Fire Truck for the entertainment! Oh, and thanks to the Camano Island community for being so supportive of their little library -- we're 1/3 of the way through our pilot project.

David

One Year Old!

2008-06-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hard for me to believe, but in a few short days, the Camano Island Library will be a year old. Actually, it shouldn't be such a surprise, since I see evidence every day: kids who weren't even crawling when we opened with our first Storytime are now walking, and of course, there are the talkers!
Thank you to the community for being so supportive of this new venture, a 3 year pilot project and an experiment in a new style of library service. We have 2 more years left, and I'm sure those 2 years will zip by too.
Make sure you stop by Saturday the 28th for our big celebration.

Gettin' Buggy Wit It

2008-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

"Catch the Reading Bug" is our Summer Reading theme this year, and bugs have taken over the branch! There are ants on the floor and crawling up the walls! Things got off to a great start with perfomances by the Brothers from Different Mothers at both Utsalady and Elger Bay schools, and we celebrate our 1 year anniversary in style with a bake sale/book sale from 10-3 on Saturday June 28, with a perfomance by the South End String Band, a visit from a fire engine, a balloon artist and more.
The Teen Summer Reading theme is "Metamorphosis", with cool prizes too. Come into the library for more details -- there's a LOT going on at the Camano Island Library this summer.
Now I just have to talk to somebody about the weather...
David

Camano community helpers

2008-05-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the last of our Spring Storytimes, and our very special guests (Captain Eric Schweiger and firefighters/EMTs Chris Aker and Thomas Curley) read a story and showed off their engine --- and everyone got their very own fire helmet, too. A big "thank you" to the officers for their visit, and another big "thank you" to our Storytime volunteers, Kelli and Leah!

Training Wheels

2008-05-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sno-Isle Libraries offers many training opportunities for staff, whether it's the self-paced "20 for 2.0" web training (RSS feeds, wikis, blogs, streaming music and video, even MySpace and YouTube) or classes in diversity training, Office 2007 and customer service. While we all like to think of ourselves as fairly competent behind the desk, these training sessions offer us more chance to hone our skills, and learn some new tricks along the way. The "20 for 2.0" training is a way for ancient staff (like me) to get acquainted with wikis and blogs so I at least have SOME clue when we get questions about them (oh that's right, I'm blogging right now...)
And the best part is that almost all of the training is done by Sno-Isle's crack HR team, plus a few select experts from branch staff. (Freeland's Evie Wilson-Lingbloom always tailors the training to make it as specific as possible for library situations -- her sessions are the best!)
Last week the entire Camano staff spent the day in a training session, so we had a substitute staff to cover our shifts at the Library. Leah, one of our regulars, stopped by and seeing all unfamiliar faces, said "Where are all the normal people??" The subs assured her they were normal too!
See you at the Library!

David

Our most popular feature (you'll never guess!)

2008-05-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

First I have to qualify that: what's our most popular feature for the preschool set?
Of course, Mary's Storytime (Fridays at 10:30) is very popular, and the kid's computer is also a big hit (less so for the poor Mom or Dad that has to pry Junior away from the keyboard, screaming!) No, I'd say the biggest hit for the young ones in our library is....the water cooler. I'm not kidding; for kids, no visit to the library is complete unless they can get their own glass of water (and the bubbling noise is an added bonus). Even after Storytime and crafts, they still have to make their way back to the cooler, toss back a cold one, and head out the door. Who woulda guessed?
See you at the Library!
David

First encounters

2008-04-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I read an article in "Fanfare" magazine (a classical music quarterly) about the power of 'first encounters'. The article talked about how powerful the link is between our first exposure to a great piece of music (or literature) and how it serves to act as a template for further explorations.
Many of my 'first encounters' were at my local library growing up. I first heard Debussy's piano music from a boxed set of LPs I checked out at the library (I now own that same performance on CD). Same with the complete "Nutcracker", same with Miles Davis. And I'm still having these first encounters almost every week at the Camano Island Library. I get to try something new, and it usually sparks a hunger for more exploration. Hmmm, "More to Explore" --- where have I heard that before?

Sunny disposition

2008-04-05T16:33:00.001-07:00

As much as I enjoy the constant hazy drizzle of the Northwest, there are times when I like to focus on something warmer. These 2 CDs from the Sno-Isle collection (Music from the Wine Lands, Samba Bossa Nova) are great reminders that the sun is shining somewhere!

A spring day on Camano ??

2008-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

When I mentioned shovelling snow from the driveway last post, it was meant to be ironic. Nature has a way of taking these things seriously, as this view earlier today from the library shows...

On with the show!

2008-03-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe summer's not that far away when you're still shovelling snow off the driveway, but cheer up, it will come. This summer, the Camano Island Library has lots to celebrate: we're coming up to our First Year Anniversary in June, and we'll also be kicking off our Summer Reading program. First up is Brothers From Different Mothers with 2 shows on June 10 (10:50 AM at Utsalady Elementary School and 2:20 at Elger Bay Elementary School). They were a hit last year here during our Opening Week Celebration -- don't miss them! Check our webpage under "Events and Programs" for more exciting events, including the South End String Band! (You've probably seen this photograph at the Post Office...)

History by the slice

2008-03-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

Sno-Isle has been purchasing a great local history series from Arcadia Publishing called "Images of America". These are slim volumes that run about 130 pages, but they're packed to the gills with great photos. Some favorites: "Music in Washington", "Vanishing Seattle","Ferries of Puget Sound", and of course, "Camano Island" written by Camano resident Karen Prasse.

Sneak preview

2008-03-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes on this blog and our calendar of events, because in the days and weeks ahead we'll be posting some of our Summer Reading events. Thanks to a grant from the Hafer Family Foundation, we'll be able to provide entertainment for you this summer, and on June 28, we'll be celebrating our 1st anniversary. Music by the South End String Band! Food! Surprises! (relax, you'll hear about the surprises here first!)

Concerto for Beach

2008-03-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some of the comments from the last blog entry, I realize I missed listing some great bird books to bring to the beach. Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest is essential, and Birdsongs of the Pacific Northwest is handy because the compact disc included allows you to identify stage-shy birds by song alone. Birds of the Puget Sound Region is also a great pocket-size beach companion. Some local NPR radio stations run the Birdnote series, and both NPR and CBC Radio have featured classical composers like Delius, Messiaen and Respighi who utilize birdsong in some of their compositions. (You know, with all this racket at the beach, it's a wonder I can get ANY reading done!)

Weather or Not

2008-02-28T11:08:00.001-08:00

I don't know what triggered it, but even though spring is still almost a month away, I feel like we've turned a corner, weather-wise, so I'm trying to take advantage of the great walks Camano Island offers. Of course, there's Camano Island State Park, which has a variety of beach and forest walks, and opening soon, neighboring Cama Beach. There are several more great spots, but I'm just selfish enough to want to keep them secret! Hint: check out "Getting to the Water's Edge on Whidbey & Camano Islands" for more information.

How Not to Read

2008-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Working at a library is especially dangerous for a book junkie like myself, and when the pile of books by my bedside starts to look dangerously unstable, I have to finally decide which ones I actually have time to read. Here's my list of which books get thinned out first:

*Books where the promotional blurbs on the cover are written by other authors. Somebody owes somebody else a favor, or maybe promises were made over a few beers -- these are almost never as good as the blurbist would have you believe.

*Cookbooks. Yes, I was taken in by the beautiful pictures and the idea that I should cook better food, but realistically, my diet revolves around pizza. And guilt is never a good reason to read a book.

*That third or fourth book by an author I've enjoyed in the past. Give someone else a try -- chances are they've got something new to say.

*Books that start off poorly. It's a safe bet that the writing won't improve if you "just give it more time."

*"Hey, I've always wanted to read 'Moby Dick'!" Not gonna happen (see: guilt, above.)

*This one is the easiest: books that have been in the pile so long they're now overdue!

The numbers are in!

2008-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

No, not the latest poll numbers, but our circulation numbers for the Camano Island branch are in, and it looks like you like us, you really like us! You checked out a total of 51,949 items from the Camano branch, including 1123 items on the 2 days we first opened in June. Thank you for your support!

Beat that, Amazon!

2008-01-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

One of the (many) great things about Sno-Isle Libraries is our liberal return policy: if for any reason you're not satisfied with what you check out, just return it -- no questions asked! Too long, too short, too heavy, too boring, too whatever -- we'll take it back, even if you've read the entire book or watched the whole DVD. Not only that, we will encourage you to try even more items, and we will happily accept them when returned. No forms to fill out, no salesman will call!
Seriously, that really is a great feature of the library. See a CD you've never heard of? Give it a spin and see what you think. Curious about that DVD set? Try it out risk-free.
With the writer's strike still in effect, the television networks are scrambling to find shows to fill the airwaves (with varying degrees of success --- "Celebrity Apprentice"? Give me a break!) This is the perfect time to throw caution to the winds and try something new. A new fantasy novel, that first season of "Lost" you never watched, those Beethoven symphonies you've always been meaning to hear...who knows, you might just find a new favorite.

What makes a community?

2008-01-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

One of our hopes for the Camano Island Library is to foster a sense of place and community at the Libary. By that I mean, we hope that the Camano Island residents will find the Library a comfortable and inviting "third place". To that end, we've developed partnerships with some of the local art community as part of their "Art in Public Places" program, and we've tried to draw on local talent for our evening programs. I'm happy to say the community has responded in very generous ways, and we have the candy, cookies (and a very beautiful poinsettia) to show for it. I'd also like to thank the Butlers (for their donation in appreciation of Jack Archibald) and the Hafer Family Foundation, whose donation will enable us to provide more children's programming this summer. We're glad to be here, and on behalf of myself and the Camano Island Library staff, thank you!

Warm in Winter

2007-12-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today we had our 'Winter Extravaganza' program at the library, and a combination of beautiful weather, shopping and various holiday events conspired to limit our audience to one very talented 5 year old girl named Celia. Now, some performers would pat the kid on the head, perform a perfunctory tune or two and be on their way, but not Eric Ode. He did his entire 45-minute program, sang along with Celia and her mom, and gave her a show she'll never forget. Folks coming through the door to check out books left with such smiles on their faces; it felt like having someone perform in your living room. It was like family. Thank you Eric for such a holiday treat; it will remain one of my fondest library memories.

Grateful for Gratitude

2007-11-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

I've always felt that it's not by chance that Thanksgiving follows Veteran's Day; we remember, honor and thank those who have sacrificed so much for us on Veteran's Day, setting the stage for a season of gratefulness.
There have been several recent books about the power of gratitude ("Thank You Power" by Deborah Norville and "Thanks!" by Robert Emmons come to mind) and a few more titles on our shelves explore similar avenues.
"Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression" by Mildred Armstrong Kalish sounds like it might be one of those 'poor me' memoirs, but Kalish wants to share "the sheer joy and excitement of it all...It was quite a romp."
"Stormy Weather" by Paulette Jiles is a fictional tale of the Great Depression, and it's all here: the dust storms, drought and devastation, but also humor, romance and the indomitable human spirit.
And for the wee ones, Kevin Henkes delivers a sweet story about how the worst day can turn around in an instant in "A Good Day."

Saying Goodbye to Summer

2007-10-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

As I drove to work yesterday, the sun was out, there was mist rising off the water, a line of geese flew overhead (as a line of cars drove onto the island) and I thought "How did we ever think we could keep such a paradise a secret?" Like most of the Northwest, Camano Island is being discovered, and it's hard to share sometimes. (For the record, I lived on Camano Island 27 years ago, so I'm allowed some nostalgia for the "old days"!)

The arrival of fall often brings these thoughts to mind as we cling to our last warm days. If you're not quite ready to admit summer is over, there are a few books on our shelves that will help you keep that frame of mind. "Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics" by Alexander Frater is a memoir of the author's travels through Indonesia, Fiji and other tropical islands, and one reviewer describes it as "stories one hears at sundown on a tropical veranda while nursing a tumbler of whisky".

"The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty" by Julia Flynn Siler is mainly about the business of wine, but you do get to spend a fair amount of time in warm Napa Valley wine country.

"The Last Summer (of You and Me)" is the first adult novel by Ann Brashares, author of the very successful teen series "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". A few years ago, I worked for the Whatcom County Library System and we had a brilliant idea: as a prize for the Teen Summer Reading program, we'd buy a pair of jeans at the thrift store and have them autographed by Ann (who just so happened to be doing a book signing at the bookstore where I also worked). Picture this scene: in a room of 13-14 year old girls clutching their beloved copies of the Traveling Pants books, there's me (not a girl and way past 14) holding....a pair of pants. When I got to the table where Ann is signing, she hesitated for a moment (I can only imagine what she was thinking) until I explained the whole teen prize thing, after which she breathed a sigh of relief and said it was a great idea. Final note: the girl who ended up winning the autographed pants in a random drawing turned out to be a big fan of the books and she LOVED her prize!

Dark and Stormy Night

2007-10-06T13:02:00.001-07:00

Those of us lucky enough to live in the Northwest endure (enjoy?) more than our share of gray days, none more so than when fall arrives. The dark overcast skies, the wind and the seemingly constant rain are the perfect companions for a cup of something warm -- and a great ghost story. Scary stories don't have quite the literary reputation of other genres (just ask Stephen King), but when you consider that one of the classic ghost stories is Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", that's not bad company. H. P. Lovecraft's literary reputation has been improving recently, and the Library of America edition of "Tales by H. P. Lovecraft" gives him a critical boost. His poetry doesn't work for me, but I enjoy his mythos tales like "The Rats in the Walls", and his influence on more recent writers is enormous. "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield isn't strictly a ghost story but it is a loving tribute to the gothic. And my candidate for scariest movie is "The Haunting" (the 1963 version with Julie Harris, please, NOT the version with Liam Neeson). For me, it's one of the very few films that's even better than the book it was based upon.
So what gives YOU the chills, and why do we enjoy being scared?

Kissing Frogs

2007-09-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of the more insistent delusions people have about working in a library is "it must be wonderful to read books all day". Yes, it must, but it doesn't happen here! We're surrounded by books but like everyone else, we have to find time in our off hours to read them. Then there's the other problem: books that aren't very good. I admire anyone who has enough discipline to sit down and face a blank sheet of paper (or computer screen) and eventually bring forth a book, BUT... Well, for every book I can recommend, I'd bet there's 5 more I slog through so you won't have to. So here are a few choice selections:

I heard of Lee Child from a co-worker a few years ago and I'm forever in her debt, because Lee Child is guaranteed to keep me reading way too late in the evening. His thrillers are lean and taughtly written.

I've found Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins mysteries to be of variable quality, but the last few show Mosley at the top of his game, and the latest due in a few weeks, "Blonde Faith", feels like the fitting farewell to a character unique to the genre.

Steve Martin has an autobiography coming out in November titled "Born Standing Up" and it focuses mainly on his stand-up comedy years. It's not the hilarious read I expected; instead, Martin mentions some of the family tensions that fueled his career, and he explains how finely crafted his comedy routines are. As one of his album titles warned us, comedy is not pretty (but it can be fascinating).

Chilly, dark and wet: the perfect weather for ghost stories -- next time!

Pop quiz

2007-09-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

What do the following book titles have in common: "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, "Dead Heat" by Dick Francis, "Spook Country" by William Gibson, "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan and "Wonderful Tonight" by Pattie Boyd?
Answer: These are all titles available for checkout right now (as I'm typing this) at the Camano Island Library! Camano's collection is a little different than other Sno-Isle branches in that we try to have the most popular titles available when you walk in the door. They aren't available for holds, and they do fly off the shelves pretty quickly, so your best bet is to stop by often to see what we have -- because we restock our shelves all the time!

Camano Island Library weblog is here!

2007-09-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first posting on the Camano Island Library blog! While this may not be as monumental as Alexander Graham Bell's immortal "Is this darn machine working? I want to order a pizza to go!" or when the Pony Express delivered their first Publisher's Clearinghouse letter ("You may already have won a mule!"), we're pretty excited. Check back often for news and comments! (We promise to use fewer exclamation points next time.)