Saturday, November 30, 2013

Staff Picks: The Richest Woman in America

Book Jacket The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age
by Janet Wallach
2012

Most people recognize the names Rockefeller, Carnegie, Astor, and Huntington as the names of men who made fortunes during the Gilded Age and with their influence helped expand the country with railroads and increased wealth. Few would recognize the name Hetty Green as easily.

In the biography The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age, Janet Wallach introduces readers to a woman who made her own financial decisions and fought for what she felt was rightfully hers. During several downturns in the economy during this time period, she was the one who lent New York City money; she was the one who started the Texas Midland railroad. As she said, "I am always buying when everyone wants to sell and selling when everyone wants to buy."

In my opinion, the author spent far too much time drawing parallels between Hetty's time and now, inferring psychological motives for many of Green's decisions and the Gilded Age. However, the story of Hetty Green is the story of how America was built not only by financiers who were men, but also by financiers who were women.

Pam Coyle
Director
Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries

CALL NUMBER: 921 Gree.H

Friday, November 29, 2013

Let It Snow

Join us at Musselman-South Berkeley Community Library for Let It Snow, a movie, story time, and craft program on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 1:30 pm. 

Popcorn and drinks will be provided.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

After School Christmas Crafts

Announcing...



After School Christmas Crafts!

Beginning Wednesday, December 4 from 3:00-4:30 pm and continuing throughout the month on December 11, and 18.

All children are welcome! Crafts will require dexterity suitable for school-aged children.

Join us and create!

Monday, November 25, 2013

We'll miss you, Barbara Park!

http://www.blink.com.ph/barbara-park.html
We in the Children's Department were very sad to learn that Barbara Park passed away last week. Park was a prolific children's author, best-known for her Junie B. Jones series.

Before Junie B.'s first adventure in 1992, Park wrote several other novels for children, including Mick Harte Was Here and The Kid in the Red Jacket, along with two picture books titled Psssst! It's Me...The Bogeyman and Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word From Your Baby-in-Waiting.

Our system holds most of Barbara Park's books, and we encourage you to memorialize her by searching the catalog for "Park, Barbara." Remember that you can have books sent from another location to your home library!

Of course, we are all very sad to lose Barbara Park, but, as Suzanne Perez Tobias said in this wonderful memorial, "Junie B. Jones will live forever."

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Let us introduce you to Dewey...

Do you find using the library difficult? Need a crash course in the Dewey Decimal Classification system?

The Dewey Decimal Classification system is used to organize information into general areas, which are then broken into smaller, more specific topics. Based on the topic and author, books are then assigned numbers, known as call numbers. A call number serves as a book's home addressit's where you can find it on the shelf.


www.proprofs.com

Here is a breakdown of the general areas organized within the Dewey Decimal Classification system...

000 General Knowledge
Almanacs, encyclopedias, libraries, museums, newspapers, etc.


100 Psychology
Death & dying, ethics, feelings, logic, superstitions, etc.

200 Religions and Mythology
Bible, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, world religions, Greek & Roman mythology

300 Social Sciences and Folklore
Careers, customs, environment, families, government, manners, money, etc.

400 Languages and Grammar
English, foreign languages, dictionaries, grammar, etc.

500 Math and Science
Biology, chemistry, geology, physics, etc.

600 Medicine and Technology
Computers, engineering, inventions, nutrition, exercise, health, cookbooks, etc.

700 Arts and Recreation
Crafts, drawing, games, jokes, music, movies, sports, etc.

800 Literature
Plays, poetry, Shakespeare, writing, etc.

900 Geography and History
Biographies, country information, states, travel, wars, etc.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

November at Naylor

Here's what to look for at Naylor in November...

www.gograph.com

TEEN NIGHT
Monday, November 18 from 7-8 pm is craft night for teens! Learn the art of origami, make something totally new from an old book, and enjoy other paper crafts! And starting in December, the second Monday night of every month at Naylor will be TEEN NIGHT! On Monday, December 9th from 7-8 pm, join us for duct tape projects. 

STORY TIME TO GO
Also in December, Naylor will be starting a special program for preschoolers called STORYTIME TO GO. If you check out a holiday book, you will receive a take-home craft based on the book you check out.



Sunday, November 10, 2013

Ancestry.com


Stacks Image 7Retired librarian Jane Sullivan will present a program on Ancestry.com on Saturday, November 16 from 11am to 1pm for people interested in using this website to trace their family roots! She will begin by explaining the features of the website and then be available to answer specific questions and even help patrons use the site.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

International Games Day @ your library!


Join the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries on Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm to celebrate International Games Day @ your library!

International Games Day is “an initiative run by volunteers from around the world and [supported] by the American Library Association to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games” (American Library Association). This year marks the sixth anniversary of the start of the International Games Day @ your library celebration.

To celebrate in Berkeley County, a variety of games will be available for you to play at each of our four branches—Martinsburg (downtown), Naylor Memorial (Hedgesville), North Berkeley (Spring Mills), and Musselman-South Berkeley (Inwood).
You’ll find decks of playing cards and board games like chess, checkers, Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Trouble, Mousetrap, and Sorry! There will also be gaming systems like Kinect, Xbox, and Wii available at all of the branch libraries except Naylor Memorial. If you plan to visit North Berkeley, please note that gaming events do not begin until 12:00 pm.

So come to the library on Saturday, November 16th and have fun playing our games! We can’t wait to see you!

For more information on International Games Day please visit http://ilovelibraries.org/gaming.


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Local author with new book to visit NBL!

George F. Franks, III, author of a new book titled Battle of Falling Waters 1863: Custer, Pettigrew and the End of the Gettysburg Campaign will be visiting North Berkeley Library on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 6:30 pm to discuss his book, his research, and answer questions from the public. There will be books available for sale and signing.

Battle of Falling Waters 1863: Custer, Pettigrew and the End of the Gettysburg Campaign is a new book from local author George Franks. It tells the story of the Gettysburg Campaign, both before and after the Battle of Falling Waters. The book has been receiving increased attention from historians.

Although not the climactic battle of the war desired by President Abraham Lincoln, the Battle of Falling Waters remains a story of miscalculation, bravery, larger-than-life personalities, tragedy, and a cover-up. This new book tells the story of that final battle.

George F. Franks, III has been passionate about the study of the American Civil War since visiting Gettysburg battlefield with his parents in July 1963. He studied history at the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Pittsburgh. A former telecommunications executive with extensive international experience, he is currently the president of Franks Consulting Group and the owner of CockedHats.com, a historical hat business.

George is also the former president of the Capitol Hill Civil War Round Table, a member of Hagerstown Civil War Round Table, Save Historic Antietam Foundation, and the Civil War Trust. He is a Governor and a former Vice President of the Company of Military Historians. George has researched the July 14, 1863 Battle of Falling Waters, Maryland for a decade.



Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Game Night at North Berkeley!



Join us at North Berkeley on Tuesday, November 12, from 6:00 - 7:00 PM for a game night and craft! Come out and play some of your favorite games, then make those rubber band bracelets that are so popular at school!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

WV Author Sarah Sullivan to visit MPL!

Come to the Martinsburg Public Library to meet West Virginia author Sarah Sullivan on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 10:30 AM

        

Ms. Sullivan will discuss her NEW middle-reader book All That's Missing, as well as her acclaimed picture books Passing the music Down, Dear Baby: Letters from Your Big Brother, and Root Beer and Banana, among others.

Learn about the author and her writing, enjoy discussion about her work, have some yummy refreshments, and even get a book signed!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Jewelry Sale at NBL

Stop by North Berkeley Library on Saturday, November 9th for a "Just in Time for Christmas!" jewelry sale. All day long, come and pick something up for that special someone. Costume and better jewelry will be offered, second-hand and new. Proceeds go toward the Friends of the North Berkeley Library programs!

Friday, November 1, 2013

November 2013: From the Director's Chair

This November, as cold weather sets in and our thoughts turn to the holidays (especially Thanksgiving), I am reminded that although people are very different in many ways, they are grateful for the same things:





· Enough food
· A place to call home
· Good health
· A sense of accomplishment

Unfortunately, we at the library are faced with the reality that some of our patrons do not have enough food or a place to call home. In the colder months, they come to the library for shelter and warmth, valuing not only warmth from the furnace but from the staff which strives to welcome everyone. These patrons work on the computers, connect with family and friends, read everything from newspapers to esoteric tomes on philosophy, and discuss the world and its troubles with other patrons. These patrons, in fact, are just like us.
So what is the library’s role in this unfortunate reality? First, it is to provide a place that is welcoming to everyone, and second, it is to provide free access to a wide variety of materials in print or via the Internet to all patrons.

This unfortunate reality is uncomfortable for some patrons who have expressed that “those people” should not be in the library. However, our role as a library is not to pass judgment on who should or should not be here or what they should or should not read.

This holiday season, be thankful for what you have and compassionate for those who don’t have as much, for whatever reason. Also, give thanks that we live in a society that provides free information with diverse viewpoints to everyone regardless of economic or social standing.

To learn more about this issue, check out the following link from the American Library Association: