Books that Shaped America

Last year, as part of its Celebration of the Book, the Library of Congress released a list of books that “provoked thought, controversy and change.” The list started with 88 books but public discussion and suggestions has seen it grow to 100 titles.

Not all of them would be considered “the best books.” Nor are they the most popular. You might not even recognize some of the titles! And there are surely books that you feel should have been included but were not.

There are political books, histories, westerns, schoolbooks, plays, poems, self-help and novels. Children’s books are represented by The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

The first book (the oldest one) is The Bay Psalm Book, a hymnal by Stephen Daye.  Dating back to 1640 it was the first book printed in what is now the United States.

You probably have heard of, and perhaps even seen, Thornton Wilder’s play, Our Town which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1938 and continues to be performed.

Two cookbooks published 135 years apart are on the list: Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery (1796) which was the first cookbook printed in the United States and Irma Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking (1931) which includes the author’s comments along with ingredient lists and directions.

Dale Carnegie’s self-help book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, also makes the list. Works by poets Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost are included.

You can see the entire, varied list on

the Library of Congress site.

Syosset Public Library owns many of the books on the list.  But  if you feel drawn to buy some of the books, Amazon has them available as a special collection on its website in both print format and (where digital rights are available) for the Kindle.

-posted by Brenda, Reference Services

New Museum Pass

Syosset Public Library has added

the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site

to its Museum Pass Program. 

Walt Whitman was born in this house on May 31, 1819 and lived here until he was 4 years old.  The site consists of 1.5 landscaped acres and was designated a New York State Historic Site in 1957. In 2001, the Birthplace was restored to  historical accuracy and the interior reflects 350 artifact furnishings typical in a “day in the life” of a 19^th century Long Island Family in 1821.

SPL has one pass which admits 2 adults and 2 children to the Birthplace & Interpretive Center, free viewing of art exhibits at the Gathering House, free or discounted admission to many select events and a 10% discount at the museum gift shop and website store.  The museum is located at 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington, NY. The museum’s winter hours are Monday-Friday 1 pm to 4 pm, Saturday-Sunday 11 am to 4 pm.  For additional information on special programming and events please visit the museum’s website.  To reserve this pass or any pass in our Museum Pass Program, please visit Syosset Public Library’s website and click on the “Museum Pass Program” icon on the left hand side of the page and follow the instructions or stop by the Readers’ Services Desk on the 2^nd floor or contact us directly at 921-7161 ext. 239.

- posted by Lisa J., Readers’ Services

February Birthday Quiz

February…As every school child knows that is the month we celebrate the birthdays of Presidents Lincoln and Washington. But do you know some of the other famous people whose birthdays are this month?  (The answers are on the lines directly after the questions:  simply highlight the area – the answers will be visible.)

1. Two other presidents?

 William Henry Harrison (2/9/1773) and Ronald Reagan (2/6/1911)

2.  Fabled buffalo hunter and showman?

Buffalo Bill Cody (2/26/1846)

3.  Country singer known as “The Man in Black”?

Johnny Cash (2/26/1932)

4.  Authors of the books Les Miserables, Great Expectations, Grapes of Wrath, and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea?

Victor Hugo (2/26/1802) , Charles Dickens (2/7/1812), John Steinbeck(2/27/1902), and Jules Verne (2/8/1828)

5.  Composer of The Messiah?

George Frideric Handel (2/23/1685)

6.  Chicago Bulls basketball superstar?

Michael Jordan (2/17/1963)

7.  First man who flew solo nonstop across the Atlantic (leaving from Long Island!)?

Charles Lindbergh (2/4/1902)

8.  Famed American suffragette?

Susan B. Anthony (2/15/1820)

Come to the third floor of the library to see a selection of books by and about these (and other) famous February “babies.”

- posted by Brenda, Reference Services

Congress.gov

The Library of Congress in conjunction with the Senate, House and the Government Printing Office has launched the new congress.gov website in beta. By the end of 2014 this will replace the Thomas.gov website. Thomas.gov, named for the third US president, Thomas Jefferson, began in 1995 to provide access to the legislative process as well as  information about members of Congress.

But in the last seventeen years there have been tremendous changes in online functionality. The new site will be optimized for mobile devices and for social media sharing.

The new homepage features a search box, list of the “most viewed bills”, current legislative activities and access to biographical information on the current members of Congress.  There are instructional videos on how a bill becomes a law and a gallery of historic documents.

The beta site has information for bills from 2001 (the 107^th Congress) to the present and member profiles from 1973 (the 93^rd Congress) and some profiles from 1947 to 1972 (80^th through 92^nd Congresses). There are plans to add the Congressional record, Congressional reports, nominations and treaties.

As election day approaches, you could test out this site to see what your Representative or Senator has been doing (there is contact information for each member).   Or check out the committee assignments and sponsored legislation, including the status of the legislation.

Next time you are in the library, 

please come and visit the third floor reference desk

and tell us what you think of Congress.gov.

- posted by Brenda, Reference Services

Celebrate your family! October is Family History Month

This would be a good time to gather the family and celebrate your ancestors. You might try something simple like making a favorite family recipe.  This could be the beginning of creating a family recipe book. Or celebrate an ancestor’s birthday by cooking special foods and playing games that he/she played as a child. Maybe you could visit a cemetery and make a rubbing of a tombstone (if the tombstone is in good condition if the cemetery allows rubbings).

 Why not encourage the young people in the family to interview relatives? Find out what their lives were like. What kinds of music did they like? What did they do for fun? Did they have pets?And do your part by writing down your own special memories. Then you could make a family scrapbook of the stories you collect.

 You can gather all the photos that are shoved in old shoeboxes. You could scan the fragile ones. And then organize all of them into albums, adding as much identification as possible. And what about those old 16-mm and 8-mm home movies and the video cassettes? Maybe this is a good time to convert them to DVDs.

If this gets you excited and you really want to pursue your family’s genealogy, check out the book display on the Syosset Public Library’s third floor. There are books for the beginner as well as the more advanced researcher. There is material for specific heritage groups and material to help organize and preserve your data. Be sure to consult the recommended websites on Syosset library’s site and, of course, the Library provides access to the well known Ancestry.com database (in-library use only).

This is just the beginning of this adventure!  You might find that you are hooked. Happy ancestor hunting!

- posted by Brenda, Reference Services

Banned Books Week

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.  This year’s theme is “30 years of Liberating Literature.”  The Readers’ Services Department will be presenting two special events to commemorate Banned Books Week, September 30 – October 6, 2012:

Banned Book Discussion

Tuesday, October 2 at 3 PM

We will discuss the frequently “Banned Book”

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

“An intimate portrait of two men who cherish the slim bond between them and the dream they share in a world marred by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. Clinging to each other in their loneliness and alienation, George and his simple-minded friend Lenny dream, as drifters will, of a place to call their own—a couple of acres and a few pigs, chickens, and rabbits back in Hill Country where land is cheap. But after they come to work on a ranch in the fertile Salinas Valley of California, their hopes, like “the best laid schemes o’mice an’ men,” begin to go awry.” (From the Publisher)

The discussion will be led by Jackie Ranaldo, Head of Readers’ Services. Refreshments will be served.  No registration required.  Free event.

Banned Book to Film

Friday, October 5 at 2 PM

Showing of the 1992 version of the film Of Mice and Men starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.  A short discussion will follow the film.  No registration required.  Free event.

We will discuss such questions as:

How closely does the film portray Steinbeck’s original characters as they were written?

What clear differences present themselves between the book and the film?

In your opinion, does the 1992 film version accurately depict the strength of the novel and/or storyline?

For more information on Banned Books Week, visit the Banned Books Week website or connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.

Happy 30th Anniversary Banned Books Week …

Let’s Celebrate our Freedom to Read!

- posted by Jackie, Readers’ Services

2 New Museum Passes!

The Syosset Public Library is pleased to announce two new museums have been added to our Museum Pass Program:

The New York Historical Society located at 170 Central Park West was founded in 1804.  Its primary mission is “exploring the richly layered political, cultural and social history of New York City and State & to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history”.  It’s art holdings comprise more than 1.6 million works of such artists as Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Eastman Johnson, Gilbert Stuart and John James Audubon just to name a few.  The New York Historical Society’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library contains more than 3 million books, pamphlets, maps, music sheets & architectural drawings.  It also has an outstanding collection of Civil War material.  The Syosset Public Library has 2 passes to NYHS.  Each pass admits 2 adults and 2 children.  For information on current exhibits and museum hours, please visit www.nyhistory.org.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is located at 212 W. 83rd Street.  The CMOM opened in 1973 with the mission of “Inspiring children & families to learn about themselves and our culturally diverse world through a unique environment of interactive exhibitions and programs to prepare children to succeed in school, help families live healthy lives and nurture a new generation of creative and global citizens.  The Syosset Public Library has 2 passes to CMOM.  Each pass admits 2 adults and 2 children.  For information on current exhibits and museum hours, please visit www.cmom.org.

To make a reservation for the above mentioned museums or any other museum in our Museum Pass Program, please contact the Readers’ Services Desk at 921-7161 ext. 239 or visit www.syossetlibrary.org and click on the Museum Pass Program link under the Main Menu.

- posted by Lisa J., Readers’ Services

Need Something To Do? Help Index the 1940 US Census

Do you have some spare time this summer? Do you want to be involved with a worthwhile, interesting project? You can do this at your own pace, on your personal schedule, right from home!

I am talking about being a volunteer indexer for the 1940 US Census. You might have heard that the census was released in April after the legal wait of 72 years. But when it was first released, you could search the records only if you knew the address of the person. There was no name index. So the call went out for volunteers to compile a name index.

I gulped and figured I would give indexing a try. It is not hard at all!  The tutorials are plentiful and straightforward and there is additional help through email or phone. First you have to download some software and then you can choose the state you want to index. I have been doing Ohio since that is where most of my family lived. Each batch is only 40 names and it does not take long. That is if you stick to the simple task of indexing. But I get curious and look at the relationships, the occupations and even salaries. I imagine the person interviewed smiling in pride as he or she discusses the new baby or detailing where the family lived five years ago. And I wonder if the Great Depression played a role in the family’s lifestyle or marriage plans.

Go ahead and try it out! If you are not yet interested in genealogy, this might be the introduction you have been waiting for.

- posted by Brenda, Reference Services