Thursday, March 19, 2015
Somers Seed Lending Library
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Local History Collection
Recently, Reference Librarian Valerie Herman went through the entire local history collection to reorganize and reevaluate the materials. She removed duplicates and items in such poor condition that they were no longer legible. More importantly, she re-cataloged the items so they are easier to find and explore.
Here are a
few of the interesting items available for review:
Between the Lines: Stories of
Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution by Susan Cochran Swanson (1976);
Junior League of Pelham, Inc., Pelham, New York. This small paperback book
retells the history of Westchester County, New York, during the American
Revolution. Most of the material found in this booklet is drawn from interviews
conducted and compiled after the war by a John M. McDonald and his friend and
old Westchester guide, Andrew Corsa between the years 1844-1850. These
interviews, 407 in all, were from 241 people aged 70-96 who had lived through
the incidents during the Revolutionary War.
Perhaps the story Delancey Raids American Post at Pines Bridge, May 13,
1781 (p. 62-69) would be of particular interest to some who live in the south
Somers area.
The Somers Library Association
Program;
Fund-raiser program from the event held December 4, 1976 for benefit of the
Somers Library Association. Back in the earlier days of the Somers Library, the
library was not a public library, but an association library formed in 1875. It
was located at the intersection of Routes 202 & 116. At one time, its
funding came largely from a thrift shop called Elephant’s Trunk Thrift Shop for
the Somers Library. This is a program from a fund-raising event held at the
Lakeover Country Club in Bedford Hills. This program holds a snapshot of the town
during the mid-1970’s with ads placed by the Somers Chamber of Commerce with a
listing of its members, the Somers Junior Women’s Club, the Mexican Shack,
Billingsley Real Estate, Lakeland Lumber, Somers Cleaners & Tailors, and
the Somers Shell Service Station, Armand Fourgeot, Proprietor. There are also
ads from many generous families. Additionally, there is a President’s Message
written by the then president of the Somers Library Association, Jean Reidy.
Jean is now one of our current library board members.
Somers is Our Home Town (1976). This booklet is a result of a
bicentennial project by a group of children in Mrs. Fowler’s 1975-1976 third
grade reading class at Primrose School, Somers, New York. This pamphlet is
illustrated by the children of this class and also includes old historic photos
as well as photos of the class as they explore their town. There is a picture
of the class as a group and a page with all their signatures.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Managing Stress
►10%
Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge
and Found Self Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris
►The
Ecstasy of Surrender: 12 Surprising Ways Letting Go Can Empower Your Life by
Judith Orloff
►Enough
Already! : Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You by Peter Walsh
►Spent:
End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again by Frank Lipman
►The
Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by
Elaine Aron
►When Your
Body Gets the Blues by Marie Brown
►Stress
Relief for Disasters Great and Small by Georgia Witkin
►The
Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis
►The Art
of Doing Nothing by Veronique Vienne
►Relax -
You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Using the Power of Humor to Overcome
Stress in Your Life and Work by Loretta LaRoche
►Don't
Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
►From
Panic to Power: Proven Techniques to Calm Your Anxieties, Calm Your Fears,
Conquer Your Fears, and Put You in Control of Your Life by Lucinda Bassett
►The End
of Stress: Four Steps to Rewire Your Brain by Don Goewey
►Unwind:
Seven Principles for a Stress Free Life by Michael Olpin
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Digital Delights
Recent
additions to Westchester Library System's library's collection of
database subscriptions are listed below. View the full list of
databases by clicking here, or visiting the library's website.
Once
you sign on, Flipster allows you to access leading digital magazines on
your mobile devices. Some of the magazines you will be able to read:
- Car & Driver
- Dwell
- Ebony
- Entertainment Weekly
- Food Network Magazine
- InStyle
- Kiplinger's Personal Finance
- People
- People en Español
- Prevention
- Rolling Stone
- Sports Illustrated
- Time
You
can search this fiction database in the usual ways...by title and
author, but you can also search by series, to find out if there are
sequels to books you have already read. You can also look for
“read-alikes” (“if you liked Twilight, you’ll probably like ...”). You
can search by genre-not, for example, just by “fantasy,” but “historical
fantasy.” Not just “romance,” but “contemporary romance,” and so on.
The next time you want to remember more about a book and can’t recall
the author or title, give Novelist a try. You can get to Novelist from
the “Books and More” page on the library’s website, and if you’re at
home, you’ll just need to enter your library card number to proceed.
Even if you know the author or title, Novelist can provide a summary and
linking terms that connect the book or author to others in its
database.
Learn sewing, draping, pattern making, fashion art, and more with a vast
collection of 'how-to' videos - at your own convenience. Tutorials
are led by fashion college professors and highly experienced, industry
fashion design experts!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
New York, New York
Living
in New York, there is always a soft spot in our hearts for books which
take place in our great state. Maybe it's because many of us were born
here or lived in New York for a large part of our lives. It's fun to
recognize and remember the places that are mentioned, and it always
seems as if there is something about the characters that make them
distinctly New Yorkers. All of these stories take place in New York,
and any one of them would make a great choice for a book group.
►Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
►Delicious! by Ruth Reichl
►New York by Edward Rutherfurd►Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
►Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
►Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
►Alienist by Caleb Carr
►Downtown: My Manhattan by Pete Hamill
►The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
►The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
►City of Glory by Beverly Swerling
►& Sons by David Gilbert
►Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
►The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
►The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
►Time and Again by Jack Finney
►Elizabeth Street: A Novel Based On True Events by Laurie Fabiano
►Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok
►Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
►Open City by Teju Cole
►Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon
►No Place Like Home: A Memoir in 39 Apartments by Brooke Berman
►The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
►The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
►The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
►The Boy Detective: A New York Childhood by Roger Rosenblatt
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Resources to Help With Your New Year's Resolutions
Trying to lose weight? Books on on weight loss plans are located in 613.25. Need a great exercise DVD to complement your weight loss plan? The library has a considerable collection...look for 613.7 in the DVDs.
How about getting out those knitting needles, or learn how to sew? There are all kinds of craft books in the 745.5 area. You will find books on quilting, decoupage, candle making, soap making, embroidery, crochet, wood carving, scrapbooking, origami, polymer clay crafts, painting and photography, just to name a few.
If you want to get organized or adopt a simpler lifestyle to have time to do more meaningful things, check out the 648.8 section. In this area you will find a wealth of books on organizing, and tips to help you take charge of your life.
Perhaps you would like to cook at home more, and eat out less. The library has a wealth of cookbooks to help you become inspired to learn new recipes in the 641 section. Are you itching to try some new desserts? Tips on baking can be found in 641.518. Books that teach you how to can or preserve are located in 641.42. How about learning how to prepare French dishes? Look for books on French cookery in the 641.5944 area.
One of the library’s largest collections is of self-help books, located in the 158.1 area. You will find information on how to deal with abusive relationships, overcoming the need to be perfect, living in the present, discovering your purpose in life and changing things for the better, and mastering the art of manifesting your wishes.
Take advantage of all the library has to offer you in addition to books and movies -- free lectures, concerts, educational programs, films, and story-times. You can find a calendar of events by clicking here. While you are at it, check out our Pinterest boards by clicking here. Each board covers a specific theme or genre and showcases a variety of books on that topic.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year, and may your resolutions be realized in 2015!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Big Fat Books Worth the Effort
So many books, so little time. With longer
winter evening hours, there is more time for reading, so now is a great time to
catch up on some of the bigger books you have always wanted to read! The
following list features fiction titles about books that seem intimidating in
their length, but are so very worth the time it takes to read..
►Anna
Karinina by Leo Tolstoy
►Les
Miserables by Victor Hugo
►Gone With
the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
►Outlander by Diana
Gabaldon
►Clan of
the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
►War and
Peace by Leo Tolstoy
►Mary
Queen of Scotland & the Isles by Margaret George
►The Thorn
Birds by Colleen McCullough
►And
Ladies of the Club by Helen Santmyer
►Ahab's
Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
►Coming
Home by Rosamind Pilcher
►Somerset by
Leila Meacham
►Hawaii by
James Michener
►Penguin
Book of Irish Fiction by Colm Toibin
►Drood by
Dan Simmons
►The
Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
►The Woman
in White by Wilkie Collins
►Vanity
Fair by William Thackery
►Game of
Thrones by George Martin
►Name of
the Rose by Eco Umberto
►I Know
This Much is True by Wally Lamb
►Winds of
War by Herman Wouk
►The
Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
►London
by Edward Rutherfurd
►Sophies
Choice by William Styron
►Underworld
by Don DeLillo
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