The Minnesota Historical Society Awards the Elbow Lake Public Library a Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant.
Without a concerted effort, our state’s historic and cultural treasures are in danger of being lost to time. The Minnesota Historical Society awarded a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant tin the amount of$680.00 to the Elbow Lake Public Library. The Grant was approved by the Society’s awards committee on July 22 and will support library’s Minnesota Book Shelf project.
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Minnesota Legislature from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Created with passage of the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on November 2008. The Grants are awarded to support projects of enduring value for the cause of history of history and historic preservation across the state.
The Library’s Minnesota Book Shelf project added 32 books about Minnesota’s history to the library’s collection. The books will be on display at the library and available for checkout. On December 21st you can enjoy a read aloud from a couple of the books as a part of our Solstice / Soultice read aloud at 7:00 p.m. The project is of enduring value because the books will remain as a permanent part of the library’s collection and available for checkout.
“It is wonderful to see so many communities and local organization benefitting from the Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants,” said Britta Bloomberg, deputy state historic preservation officer. “Minnesotans should be proud of the unprecedented opportunities these grants provide for organization to preserve and share our history and cultural heritage. The impact of projects supported by Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants will be felt throughout the state for many years to come.”
The Society will award a total of $6.75 million in Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants to non-profit and educational organizations, government units and tribes during the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years for projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation across the state. Grants are available in three tiers: Small, or “Fast Track” grants of $7,000 or less, Mid-Size grants between $7,000 and $50,000 and Large grants of more than $50,000. For more information, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/legacygrants.
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. Its essence is to help illuminate the past as a way to shed light on the future. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing.
This project has been made possible in part by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
1940's dance
Rember to join us Saturday, September 18 at the Barrett Pavilion for our 1940's Swing Dance featuring Christine Rosholt and her band.
This dance is free thanks to State Legacy funds.
Doors open at 7:00 music starts at 8:00~
More to your library then you ever imagined
There is often a great deal of discussion about the future of libraries and the book. I appreciate the dialog and concern some express, but find it more interesting that with all of our technological advances; libraries just continue to get busier and busier.
First off, I think some people are unclear of what their local library has to offer. Secondly I think that people are very misguided as to the amount of information found online and the amount of information found in books; for clarification, books have more. In addition libraries have never been just books (although if they were that would be enough).
I like to think of our local library as a community gathering place where people can engage in dialog and new experiences. When you visit the library you will be exposed to information, ideas, sounds, art, images, and people. You come in to use our computer for a job search and during the process you might take the time to explore our current art exhibit, or perhaps without deliberately making an effort to view the art you are still taking it all in.
How about music, our library has more than a thousand CDs ~ you might be thinking that CDs are a thing of the past. I beg to differ. Often before purchasing music for my ipod I might want a chance to listen to the artist, so by checking out the CD I get a chance to preview the music.
What about movies. I haven't rented or purchased a DVD in years, simply because they are free to check out at the library. What's more what I love most is the ability to browse the collection and run across a movie I always wanted to watch but never got around to it, or stumble across a documentary that is sure to enlighten me.
I'm not going to cover everything here, I am just going to scratch the surface on what's available and why you should care and why I think the future of libraries has never been better.
I own a Kindle, I've had it for more than a year and the truth is while I have downloaded a couple of books to it, I have never actually read a book on my Kindle. Over the past year I have read many books but not one of them from my Kindle. Maybe it's habit, I'm a page turner. What I really think it is is economics, books from the library are free and books on Kindle cost money.
That's true about everything in every format I have talked about; libraries are free there is not a better deal anywhere. There is expense in mp3 players, online movie accounts, and E-Readers ~ but libraries are free.
A couple of things that libraries offer that you might not think about: guest speakers and visiting authors, who probably are not going to show up in your living room. The caliber of speakers we have had and continue to have at the library is outstanding. Sometimes I want to shake people and say do you know who's at the library right now? You need to get to the library.
Entertainment, I could have never imagined how wonderfully our summer music series would have taken off and been received. Weekly live entertainment at the library was extremely popular.
This weekend the library is hosting a 1940's dance as a part of our series on "The Greatest Generation."
What defines a library? Well more than you could ever imagine, every word in the dictionary wouldn't begin to cover what defines a library. Don't believe me; get to the library and check it outfor yourself.
First off, I think some people are unclear of what their local library has to offer. Secondly I think that people are very misguided as to the amount of information found online and the amount of information found in books; for clarification, books have more. In addition libraries have never been just books (although if they were that would be enough).
I like to think of our local library as a community gathering place where people can engage in dialog and new experiences. When you visit the library you will be exposed to information, ideas, sounds, art, images, and people. You come in to use our computer for a job search and during the process you might take the time to explore our current art exhibit, or perhaps without deliberately making an effort to view the art you are still taking it all in.
How about music, our library has more than a thousand CDs ~ you might be thinking that CDs are a thing of the past. I beg to differ. Often before purchasing music for my ipod I might want a chance to listen to the artist, so by checking out the CD I get a chance to preview the music.
What about movies. I haven't rented or purchased a DVD in years, simply because they are free to check out at the library. What's more what I love most is the ability to browse the collection and run across a movie I always wanted to watch but never got around to it, or stumble across a documentary that is sure to enlighten me.
I'm not going to cover everything here, I am just going to scratch the surface on what's available and why you should care and why I think the future of libraries has never been better.
I own a Kindle, I've had it for more than a year and the truth is while I have downloaded a couple of books to it, I have never actually read a book on my Kindle. Over the past year I have read many books but not one of them from my Kindle. Maybe it's habit, I'm a page turner. What I really think it is is economics, books from the library are free and books on Kindle cost money.
That's true about everything in every format I have talked about; libraries are free there is not a better deal anywhere. There is expense in mp3 players, online movie accounts, and E-Readers ~ but libraries are free.
A couple of things that libraries offer that you might not think about: guest speakers and visiting authors, who probably are not going to show up in your living room. The caliber of speakers we have had and continue to have at the library is outstanding. Sometimes I want to shake people and say do you know who's at the library right now? You need to get to the library.
Entertainment, I could have never imagined how wonderfully our summer music series would have taken off and been received. Weekly live entertainment at the library was extremely popular.
This weekend the library is hosting a 1940's dance as a part of our series on "The Greatest Generation."
What defines a library? Well more than you could ever imagine, every word in the dictionary wouldn't begin to cover what defines a library. Don't believe me; get to the library and check it outfor yourself.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Minnesota Goes to War and Gone to Soldiers
This is Susan writing. I am just over 100 pages into 'Gone to Soldiers' by Marge Piercy. It is an historical fiction novel about World War II, recreating the lives of people who fought "on the home front" or behind enemy lines. I read it many years ago and am thorougly enjoying it again. It is the next title we will be discussing in our adult book series 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Piercy has such a gift for writing from the viewpoint of multiple characters (they each get their own chapters) using writing styles that vary between characters. The amount of research she did for this book is evident and impressive. The hardcover edition weighs in at 703 pages so I've got some reading to do before the 28th.
At the same time I am also reading 'Minnesota Goes to War: the Home Front during World War II' by Dave Kenney. Kenney will be speaking at the Elbow Lake Public Library on Thursday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m. He is also the award-winning author of a Minnesota State history textbook and a former writer for CNN. His book is very well written and dovetails just perfectly with 'Gone to Soldiers'. My father was a medic in WWII and my mother was home in Minnesota with two small children so I have heard many family stories to relate to Kenney's research. We are so lucky to be able to have a writer of this caliber come to Elbow Lake! His visit is made possible by a Legacy Grant.
At the same time I am also reading 'Minnesota Goes to War: the Home Front during World War II' by Dave Kenney. Kenney will be speaking at the Elbow Lake Public Library on Thursday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m. He is also the award-winning author of a Minnesota State history textbook and a former writer for CNN. His book is very well written and dovetails just perfectly with 'Gone to Soldiers'. My father was a medic in WWII and my mother was home in Minnesota with two small children so I have heard many family stories to relate to Kenney's research. We are so lucky to be able to have a writer of this caliber come to Elbow Lake! His visit is made possible by a Legacy Grant.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The truth is....
I was fortunate enough to get to see the musical "Wicked" which is based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire. I must say this was a most clever telling of the "real" story of the Wicked Witch of the West. A line would be delivered and I would think, "Oh how very clever." I haven't read the book,although it is next to my night stand but unfortunately, it falls behind the the very thick book "Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy.
Anyway, here is what I have to say...Yes "Wicked" was well fabulously wicked. The music was outstanding, special effects marvelous, vocals topnotch, acting superb...but what I didn't know until I saw the play was that it was all about the dangers of rumours, lies, misinformation and greed. "Wicked" has an amazing message. Turns this musical really nails it, our words have tremendous power and when you say something about someone or repeat something about someone you better make darn well you have your information strait, because words my friends have power. Yes, that's right your little rumour or lie or the casual way you talk about other people can cause pain, suffering, hard feelings or actually ruin a persons life.
A couple of other wonderful books about spreading rumours and the damage it can cause include "The Ladies Auxiliary" by Tova Mirvis and "Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna.
Anyway, here is what I have to say...Yes "Wicked" was well fabulously wicked. The music was outstanding, special effects marvelous, vocals topnotch, acting superb...but what I didn't know until I saw the play was that it was all about the dangers of rumours, lies, misinformation and greed. "Wicked" has an amazing message. Turns this musical really nails it, our words have tremendous power and when you say something about someone or repeat something about someone you better make darn well you have your information strait, because words my friends have power. Yes, that's right your little rumour or lie or the casual way you talk about other people can cause pain, suffering, hard feelings or actually ruin a persons life.
A couple of other wonderful books about spreading rumours and the damage it can cause include "The Ladies Auxiliary" by Tova Mirvis and "Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna.
Friday, August 20, 2010
'all about love: new visions' by bell hooks
Susan here...
Our adult book and film series, 'What's Love Got to Do with It?', is in its second month and we will be discussing this book next Tuesday, August 24th, at 7:00 here at the library.
Alan and I have been reading it aloud as we traveled to New York for a long weekend. It was kind of a strange title to be reading (aloud, no less) in trains, airplanes and airports!
This is the second time I've read the first few chapters. I really appreciate how Ms. hooks (she chooses to not capitalize) looks at our culture and our definitions of love and both lack of love and manifestations of love. For such an important topic, we surely don't think very deeply about it, discuss it much, or even analyze it as a force in the culture. Much of what she says seems simply statement of fact, while others of her ideas are entirely new to me. It feels like a REALLY important topic and this book a good way to begin the discussion...
More when I actually finish the book...
Our adult book and film series, 'What's Love Got to Do with It?', is in its second month and we will be discussing this book next Tuesday, August 24th, at 7:00 here at the library.
Alan and I have been reading it aloud as we traveled to New York for a long weekend. It was kind of a strange title to be reading (aloud, no less) in trains, airplanes and airports!
This is the second time I've read the first few chapters. I really appreciate how Ms. hooks (she chooses to not capitalize) looks at our culture and our definitions of love and both lack of love and manifestations of love. For such an important topic, we surely don't think very deeply about it, discuss it much, or even analyze it as a force in the culture. Much of what she says seems simply statement of fact, while others of her ideas are entirely new to me. It feels like a REALLY important topic and this book a good way to begin the discussion...
More when I actually finish the book...
'Now Go Home: Wilderness, Belonging and the Crosscut Saw"
Susan here...
'Now Go Home: Wilderness, Belonging and the Crosscut Saw' is by Ana Maria Spagna. It was given to me several years ago by a friend who is a friend of the author. The book is a series of essays/chapters centered around working for the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service and living in a remote area in Washington state. Since I also worked for both agencies in the same area, it was a pleasing stimulator of memories and refreshed my interest in the issues federal employees in those agencies encounter. I even knew some of the people she talked about in the book so that was really fun for me. I chose to read it on a trip back to the area which was a great choice as I love to read about the areas I am traveling in...
The book is well-written and I appreciated Ms. Spagna's self-awareness and emotional honesty. I think people who haven't lived the life a seasonally employed park ranger would gain insight into the facts and the feel of such a lifestyle. She also writes at length about building a home from scratch and how much work it truly is, reflecting on community and place in thought provoking ways.
'Now Go Home: Wilderness, Belonging and the Crosscut Saw' is by Ana Maria Spagna. It was given to me several years ago by a friend who is a friend of the author. The book is a series of essays/chapters centered around working for the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service and living in a remote area in Washington state. Since I also worked for both agencies in the same area, it was a pleasing stimulator of memories and refreshed my interest in the issues federal employees in those agencies encounter. I even knew some of the people she talked about in the book so that was really fun for me. I chose to read it on a trip back to the area which was a great choice as I love to read about the areas I am traveling in...
The book is well-written and I appreciated Ms. Spagna's self-awareness and emotional honesty. I think people who haven't lived the life a seasonally employed park ranger would gain insight into the facts and the feel of such a lifestyle. She also writes at length about building a home from scratch and how much work it truly is, reflecting on community and place in thought provoking ways.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Field trip wrap up
The trip to the Walker Art Center was fabulous, only regret was that we didn't have enough time. Next time we will plan to spend the entire day. It seemed like everyone in our group was inspired to come home and create.
The Quang was delicious, and Daniel the owner is the kindest most generous person ever. If you are in Minneapolis please consider eating at the Quang.
Our bus driver was Steve Holte from Key Ministries and he too is top notch. What a great man and fabulous service. Steve's bus company is based out of Glenwood, if you are looking for a charter bus please consider steve.
Check out the library's web page or facebook book fan page for more information and photos. www.walkerart.org
www.quangrestaurant.com
The Quang was delicious, and Daniel the owner is the kindest most generous person ever. If you are in Minneapolis please consider eating at the Quang.
Our bus driver was Steve Holte from Key Ministries and he too is top notch. What a great man and fabulous service. Steve's bus company is based out of Glenwood, if you are looking for a charter bus please consider steve.
Check out the library's web page or facebook book fan page for more information and photos. www.walkerart.org
www.quangrestaurant.com
Friday, August 13, 2010
Walker Art Center and the Quang Restaurant
Monday, August 9, 2010
Walker Art Museum
Next Tuesday the Zingleberry book group, which is for children grades three through six, will be taking a field trip the the Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis. We will also be eating at the Quang restaurant.
Here's the scoop; after reading "Julia Gilian and the Art of Knowing" by Alison McGhee the book group made paper mache masks (you'd have to read the book to know why). Then we were fortunate enough to have Alsion McGhee visit our library and spend some time with members of the Zingleberry book group, we also got to show her our paper mache projects. In the book "Julia Gilian and the Art of Knowing" the Quang restaurant is mentioned often along with their famous bubble tea so we decided we really needed to pay a visit. As luck would have it the Quang is normally closed on Tuesdays but will be opening that day just for our group.
We are visiting the Walker because our group is incredibly creative and wants to spend some time delving into assemblage art.
We will be using the book "How to be an Explorer of the World" next year as a part of our program so that we can be better observers of all that is around us.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Shakespear
Last month, the library's book club read was "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, at least that was what we were suppose to read. I was surprised by the number of people who wrinkled up their nose at the book or seemed taken a back at having to read it again. Seems many of us have read that little gem while in junior high and it must of scared a good lot of us to pieces, because some were unwilling to venture there again. I am not being totally fair here, over 30 copies of the book checked out to book club members and probably most people read the book or at least give it their best shot.
The thing about Shakespeare is; he's brilliant. I use the term the term "he" loosely here because let's face it Shakespeare may not have written all of those plays and sonnets alone, at least that's what some of the experts say. Where was I? Oh yes, Shakespeare was a genius, witty, deep, humerus, romantic, insightful, a great observer of the human condition. I would guess that most people who claim to, "Not like Shakespeare." have most likely not given the writings a fair shake or had the chance to really understand what was being said. When you get it, you really get it.
For all of those people who didn't finish or start "Romeo and Juliet" don't feel too terribly bad I didn't finish either. I did after all read it in the 9th grade.
What I really wanted to write about was the movie we watched last night for film club.
It was of course "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes and in my humble opinion a master piece. The cinematography is breath taking, keep in mind Baz Lurhmann also brought us "Moulin Rouge" (need I say more). In this film you can feel the angst, the heat, the sun beating down, the dirt in wounds. And, this young love is brilliantly conveyed by these two immensely talented actors. When they first meet eyes, through a fish aquarium, my heart skipped a beat (we are talking Leonardo here). Baz Luhrmann did a magnificent job moving "Romeo and Juliet" into a modern urban setting and masterfully keeping the original language. trust me it works.
The cinematographer,Donald McAlpine is clearly a genius and how often do we talk about cinematographers? Not often enough.
But here is my point, I watched this movie about four or five years ago with my kids and I thought it was a great movie then, but last night something hit me.
"Romeo and Juliet" isn't a love story it's a tragedy and while we all supposedly know that; a jolt of lightening hit me and I thought, this is an anti violence or anti hate story. This is a parable of sorts about the tragedy of hate and violence. It is the tale of the tragic loss of innocence in which no one gains a thing. While that has always been perfectly articulated in the text, it never totally hit me until last night.
You might want to watch this movie or maybe even read the book.
The thing about Shakespeare is; he's brilliant. I use the term the term "he" loosely here because let's face it Shakespeare may not have written all of those plays and sonnets alone, at least that's what some of the experts say. Where was I? Oh yes, Shakespeare was a genius, witty, deep, humerus, romantic, insightful, a great observer of the human condition. I would guess that most people who claim to, "Not like Shakespeare." have most likely not given the writings a fair shake or had the chance to really understand what was being said. When you get it, you really get it.
For all of those people who didn't finish or start "Romeo and Juliet" don't feel too terribly bad I didn't finish either. I did after all read it in the 9th grade.
What I really wanted to write about was the movie we watched last night for film club.
It was of course "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes and in my humble opinion a master piece. The cinematography is breath taking, keep in mind Baz Lurhmann also brought us "Moulin Rouge" (need I say more). In this film you can feel the angst, the heat, the sun beating down, the dirt in wounds. And, this young love is brilliantly conveyed by these two immensely talented actors. When they first meet eyes, through a fish aquarium, my heart skipped a beat (we are talking Leonardo here). Baz Luhrmann did a magnificent job moving "Romeo and Juliet" into a modern urban setting and masterfully keeping the original language. trust me it works.
The cinematographer,Donald McAlpine is clearly a genius and how often do we talk about cinematographers? Not often enough.
But here is my point, I watched this movie about four or five years ago with my kids and I thought it was a great movie then, but last night something hit me.
"Romeo and Juliet" isn't a love story it's a tragedy and while we all supposedly know that; a jolt of lightening hit me and I thought, this is an anti violence or anti hate story. This is a parable of sorts about the tragedy of hate and violence. It is the tale of the tragic loss of innocence in which no one gains a thing. While that has always been perfectly articulated in the text, it never totally hit me until last night.
You might want to watch this movie or maybe even read the book.
Friday, July 30, 2010
It's not just for the kids
Children's picture books are not really just for children and they certainly aren't just for pre-readers or new readers. Truth be told many picture books are filled with beautiful though provoking stories; some that make you smile or laugh and others that make you cry. Picture books are also great exposure to art, for most people it is their first exposure to art.
A picture book read aloud at the breakfast or dinner table or as a night time story can encourage meaningful discussion with your children as well as an inspiration to their imagination.
Often times as adults or parents we push our kids to advance from picture books to chapter books too soon, like it's some kind of contest. While we do need to continue to advance in our reading skills often the traditional picture book may contain complex words, sentences and ideas. It is a total boost to a child's self-esteem to finish a book so I really encourage a mixture a chapter book or two along with a few picture books just to keep things fresh.
As an adult who works in a library I need to read some of these picture books to have a feel for what's out there, what kids like, what experts are recommending and what would make a good read aloud. I have come across some children's picture books that are so fabulous that I have to go out and purchase a copy to have on hand at home for young visitors. I have learned a great deal from reading picture books and I have also been mesmerized by beautiful illustrations, sometimes I just can't wait to share those beautiful pictures with someone else.
Here is a list of some new and some old picture books that should be read by young and old alike:
"The Curious Garden" by Peter Brown
"My People" by Langston Hughes
"Red Sings from Treetops: a Year in Colors" by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski ~ a personal favorite.
"Farm" by Elisha Cooper
"Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert Mccloskey
"The Paper bag Princess" by Robert Munsch
"Yertel the Turtle" by Dr. Seuss
"The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss
"Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel" by Virgina Lee Burton
"Odd Velvet" by Mary E. Witcomb
"Blueberries for Sal" By Robert Mccloskey
"Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss
"Our Tree Named Steve" by Alan Zweibel
"Pink and Say" by Patricia Polacco
I could go on but half the fun of reading a good book is finding it first.
A picture book read aloud at the breakfast or dinner table or as a night time story can encourage meaningful discussion with your children as well as an inspiration to their imagination.
Often times as adults or parents we push our kids to advance from picture books to chapter books too soon, like it's some kind of contest. While we do need to continue to advance in our reading skills often the traditional picture book may contain complex words, sentences and ideas. It is a total boost to a child's self-esteem to finish a book so I really encourage a mixture a chapter book or two along with a few picture books just to keep things fresh.
As an adult who works in a library I need to read some of these picture books to have a feel for what's out there, what kids like, what experts are recommending and what would make a good read aloud. I have come across some children's picture books that are so fabulous that I have to go out and purchase a copy to have on hand at home for young visitors. I have learned a great deal from reading picture books and I have also been mesmerized by beautiful illustrations, sometimes I just can't wait to share those beautiful pictures with someone else.
Here is a list of some new and some old picture books that should be read by young and old alike:
"The Curious Garden" by Peter Brown
"My People" by Langston Hughes
"Red Sings from Treetops: a Year in Colors" by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski ~ a personal favorite.
"Farm" by Elisha Cooper
"Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert Mccloskey
"The Paper bag Princess" by Robert Munsch
"Yertel the Turtle" by Dr. Seuss
"The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss
"Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel" by Virgina Lee Burton
"Odd Velvet" by Mary E. Witcomb
"Blueberries for Sal" By Robert Mccloskey
"Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss
"Our Tree Named Steve" by Alan Zweibel
"Pink and Say" by Patricia Polacco
I could go on but half the fun of reading a good book is finding it first.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Marketing Obession
I have an attraction to marketing books that I can't really explain. On some levels I find marketing the kind of thing I might be against, I mean when you think about encouraging people to purchase things that they don't really need or maybe even want. Let's face it, marketing isn't all about making sales; it's also about recognition, being heard, getting your message out there.
Most marketing books have some tidbit to garner, you may not want to swallow everything hook line and sinker but their is value from learning about other people's experiences.
Here are some things I found of value from books I have read and I will list the books at the end of this post.
Keep your web page clean and simple, don't list things below the fold. "Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed" by Jakob Nielsen. I may have taken this advice a bit serious, our web page has become very minimal.
Include not only your businesses address but also it's location; for example across the street from the court house. ~ This is great advice I just can't remember which of the books I found it in so you might want to read them all.
Tell your story ~ don't make up a fake story ~ tell real story or maybe even the back story. "Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses That Market Themselves" by Alex Bogusky.
Encourage creativity, embrace mistakes, create chaos, work in cramped quarters to encourage collaboration and idea sharing ~ "Bang! : "getting your message heard in a noisy world" Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, with Delia Marshall.
"The next evolution of marketing : connect with your customers by marketing with meaning" Bob Gilbreath.
"The new rules of marketing and PR : how to use social media, blogs, news releases, online video, & viral marketing to reach buyers directly" David Meerman Scott.
"Guerrilla marketing for nonprofits" by Jay Conrad Levinson, Frank Adkins, and Chris Forbes.
"Marketing without advertising" by Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry ; edited by Catherine Caputo.
"Guerrilla marketing : easy and inexpensive strategies for making big profits from your small business" Jay Conrad Levinson ; with Jeannie Levinson and Amy Levinson.
"The new rules of marketing and PR : how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, and online media to reach your buyers directly" by David Meerman Scott.
One book suggested pretty much only advertising in the Yellow pages, which I didn't think would fly in my neck of the woods.
The end story here is that you probably need to pull information from as many places as possible to see what works best for you and your business or organization.
Most marketing books have some tidbit to garner, you may not want to swallow everything hook line and sinker but their is value from learning about other people's experiences.
Here are some things I found of value from books I have read and I will list the books at the end of this post.
Keep your web page clean and simple, don't list things below the fold. "Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed" by Jakob Nielsen. I may have taken this advice a bit serious, our web page has become very minimal.
Include not only your businesses address but also it's location; for example across the street from the court house. ~ This is great advice I just can't remember which of the books I found it in so you might want to read them all.
Tell your story ~ don't make up a fake story ~ tell real story or maybe even the back story. "Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses That Market Themselves" by Alex Bogusky.
Encourage creativity, embrace mistakes, create chaos, work in cramped quarters to encourage collaboration and idea sharing ~ "Bang! : "getting your message heard in a noisy world" Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, with Delia Marshall.
"The next evolution of marketing : connect with your customers by marketing with meaning" Bob Gilbreath.
"The new rules of marketing and PR : how to use social media, blogs, news releases, online video, & viral marketing to reach buyers directly" David Meerman Scott.
"Guerrilla marketing for nonprofits" by Jay Conrad Levinson, Frank Adkins, and Chris Forbes.
"Marketing without advertising" by Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry ; edited by Catherine Caputo.
"Guerrilla marketing : easy and inexpensive strategies for making big profits from your small business" Jay Conrad Levinson ; with Jeannie Levinson and Amy Levinson.
"The new rules of marketing and PR : how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, and online media to reach your buyers directly" by David Meerman Scott.
One book suggested pretty much only advertising in the Yellow pages, which I didn't think would fly in my neck of the woods.
The end story here is that you probably need to pull information from as many places as possible to see what works best for you and your business or organization.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Gail's recent books, movies and music...
I just finished reading "If This was Happiness: A Biography of Rita Hayworth" by Barbara Leaming. I have been interested in Rita Hayworth for about 25 years, ever since a former employer made an interesting comment about her. After all this time I finally picked up a book about her and truthfully I could hardly put it down. You can always tell when a book has an impact on me because I talk and talk about; it's like every day I have to give my family, friends and co-workers the update.
Rita Hayworth lived a Hollywood life that really mirrors so much of what we read in the headlines about celebrities today. A tragic childhood, a string of unhealthy relationships and failed marriages, the paparazzi it just goes on and on.
I was surprised to learn that Rita Hayworth had been married to Orson Wells and that she had loaned him large sums of money. While I've always known that Grace Kelly was married to a Prince I didn't know that Rita Hayworth wayworth was married to prince.
Rita was first and foremost known for for dancing with her beginnings going to back to a dance routine she did with her father, a Spanish native and dancer back to vaudeville days. I really don't want to say too much but I assure this book is a trip down memory lane and ties famous people together in surprising ways.
I was really shocked at how many peole used Rita for her beauty, talent and earning power.
Sadly Rita fell victim to early onset Alzheimer's and died in her 60's, it also broke my heart that diagnoses came late and those early onset symptoms were thought to be the result of a drinking problem damaging Rita's reputation.
This book gave me a whole new respect for this legendary beauty.
So what do you suppose I have been watching? Nothing other than Rita Hayworth movies of course. For my viewing enjoyment I selected "Gilda" one of Rita's most famous performances and her performance of "Blame It On Mame" is fabulous. The movie had a "Casablanca" kind of feel to it, yet it stands on its own as a good film. The movie will leave no doubt in your mind that Rita was one of America's most beautiful actress of all times.
What did I add to my ipod after this Rita book and film fetish? Well of course Rita Hayworth. The album is "The Heat Is On." I did hear somewhere that she didn't actually sing, it was lip synching in her movies and I'm not sure who is singing on record ~ After a brief Internet search I cannot confirm who is really singing but I will let you know if I find out.
Rita Hayworth lived a Hollywood life that really mirrors so much of what we read in the headlines about celebrities today. A tragic childhood, a string of unhealthy relationships and failed marriages, the paparazzi it just goes on and on.
I was surprised to learn that Rita Hayworth had been married to Orson Wells and that she had loaned him large sums of money. While I've always known that Grace Kelly was married to a Prince I didn't know that Rita Hayworth wayworth was married to prince.
Rita was first and foremost known for for dancing with her beginnings going to back to a dance routine she did with her father, a Spanish native and dancer back to vaudeville days. I really don't want to say too much but I assure this book is a trip down memory lane and ties famous people together in surprising ways.
I was really shocked at how many peole used Rita for her beauty, talent and earning power.
Sadly Rita fell victim to early onset Alzheimer's and died in her 60's, it also broke my heart that diagnoses came late and those early onset symptoms were thought to be the result of a drinking problem damaging Rita's reputation.
This book gave me a whole new respect for this legendary beauty.
So what do you suppose I have been watching? Nothing other than Rita Hayworth movies of course. For my viewing enjoyment I selected "Gilda" one of Rita's most famous performances and her performance of "Blame It On Mame" is fabulous. The movie had a "Casablanca" kind of feel to it, yet it stands on its own as a good film. The movie will leave no doubt in your mind that Rita was one of America's most beautiful actress of all times.
What did I add to my ipod after this Rita book and film fetish? Well of course Rita Hayworth. The album is "The Heat Is On." I did hear somewhere that she didn't actually sing, it was lip synching in her movies and I'm not sure who is singing on record ~ After a brief Internet search I cannot confirm who is really singing but I will let you know if I find out.
Lars and the Real Girl, movie
Susan here.
Oh my goodness. I LOVED this movie! It is so sweet and quirky and inspiring. Lars is a diagnosably shy 27 year old who orders a life-size, anatomically correct doll whom he names Bianca. She is a "missionary" from Brazil with an illness that requires her to be in a wheelchair during waking hours! Lars' family and the whole town respond with love and goodwill toward Bianca, welcoming her and making her feel at home. Underneath it all is the story of Lars' childhood and healing.
I watched the film with five men and one woman. Everyone enjoyed it (or at least said they did) but none of the men said they would watch it again! I definitely would. We are purchasing it for the library and it will probably gain a place in the "What's Love Got to Do with It?" film series.
Oh my goodness. I LOVED this movie! It is so sweet and quirky and inspiring. Lars is a diagnosably shy 27 year old who orders a life-size, anatomically correct doll whom he names Bianca. She is a "missionary" from Brazil with an illness that requires her to be in a wheelchair during waking hours! Lars' family and the whole town respond with love and goodwill toward Bianca, welcoming her and making her feel at home. Underneath it all is the story of Lars' childhood and healing.
I watched the film with five men and one woman. Everyone enjoyed it (or at least said they did) but none of the men said they would watch it again! I definitely would. We are purchasing it for the library and it will probably gain a place in the "What's Love Got to Do with It?" film series.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Hello Readers! This Susan Sanford, again, library assistant.
I just finished alternately listening to and reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows. I have to admit to being delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Sometimes I am disappointed in popular fiction but this one really charmed me. I laughed out loud and chuckled many times.
The book is written entirely in letters among a dozen or so characters with a couple of primary ones. In the case of this book, I definitely preferred listening to it over reading it, mostly because the audio book uses different actors/readers for each character and they all did such an excellent job. It piqued my interest in the Channel Islands (which I didn't know existed!) and life in England during World War II. This is Ms. Shaffer's first book. Her niece stepped in to help finish the book due to Ms. Shaffer's illness.
I just finished alternately listening to and reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows. I have to admit to being delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Sometimes I am disappointed in popular fiction but this one really charmed me. I laughed out loud and chuckled many times.
The book is written entirely in letters among a dozen or so characters with a couple of primary ones. In the case of this book, I definitely preferred listening to it over reading it, mostly because the audio book uses different actors/readers for each character and they all did such an excellent job. It piqued my interest in the Channel Islands (which I didn't know existed!) and life in England during World War II. This is Ms. Shaffer's first book. Her niece stepped in to help finish the book due to Ms. Shaffer's illness.
Susan's Blog
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Bitter Pill
Since I've never blogged before, I feel that I must tell you that I am Susan Sanford. I work at the Elbow Lake (Thorson Memorial) Public Library in Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Ours is the only library in Grant County, population approx. 6,000. If you look at the outline of Minnesota, we are half way up and down and about 30 miles from the Dakota border, just about where the hump stretches out to the west and North and South Dakota and Minnesota meet. We are a farming community, surrounded by rich, rich land producing mostly corn, soy beans and wheat...
Last night I finished reading A Bitter Pill: How the Medical System Is Failing the Elderly by John Sloan, M.D. Having spent the last decade tending to the needs of two very elderly parents, one who died of Alzheimer's Disease a year and a half ago, and the other 95 and in a nursing home, I was interested in what this Canadian medical doctor had to say. He weaves some pretty technical medical/political issues into anecdotes of his patients and their families.
If I can briefly summarize, Dr. Sloan describes the current medical system as one of "prevention and rescue" that works fine for younger folks and people with single disease pathologies but fails miserably for the elderly or fragile people who either have multiple pathologies or whose highest priority is NOT being rescued but rather being comfortable physically and socially. He advocates strongly for home care (his practice is entirely done in his patients' homes), keeping patients out of nursing homes and hospitals, minimizing medication (one of the side-effects of many of the common medications prescribed for the elderly is low blood pressure, which becomes a serious threat when each additional medication lowers the blood pressure further), and striving to see the elderly as individual human beings with extremely varying desires and situations.
I found the book inspiring and supportive for me personally. It was quite well written, at times dense and a bit repetitive but peppered with humor. I would love if medical administration people and policy makers would read it.
Any comments or questions?
A Bitter Pill
Since I've never blogged before, I feel that I must tell you that I am Susan Sanford. I work at the Elbow Lake (Thorson Memorial) Public Library in Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Ours is the only library in Grant County, population approx. 6,000. If you look at the outline of Minnesota, we are half way up and down and about 30 miles from the Dakota border, just about where the hump stretches out to the west and North and South Dakota and Minnesota meet. We are a farming community, surrounded by rich, rich land producing mostly corn, soy beans and wheat...
Last night I finished reading A Bitter Pill: How the Medical System Is Failing the Elderly by John Sloan, M.D. Having spent the last decade tending to the needs of two very elderly parents, one who died of Alzheimer's Disease a year and a half ago, and the other 95 and in a nursing home, I was interested in what this Canadian medical doctor had to say. He weaves some pretty technical medical/political issues into anecdotes of his patients and their families.
If I can briefly summarize, Dr. Sloan describes the current medical system as one of "prevention and rescue" that works fine for younger folks and people with single disease pathologies but fails miserably for the elderly or fragile people who either have multiple pathologies or whose highest priority is NOT being rescued but rather being comfortable physically and socially. He advocates strongly for home care (his practice is entirely done in his patients' homes), keeping patients out of nursing homes and hospitals, minimizing medication (one of the side-effects of many of the common medications prescribed for the elderly is low blood pressure, which becomes a serious threat when each additional medication lowers the blood pressure further), and striving to see the elderly as individual human beings with extremely varying desires and situations.
I found the book inspiring and supportive for me personally. It was quite well written, at times dense and a bit repetitive but peppered with humor. I would love if medical administration people and policy makers would read it.
Any comments or questions?
What we're reading, watching and listening to and how we feel about it~
Welcome to Throson Memorial Library's blog~ check back frequently to see what the library staff is reading, watching and listening to and how we feel about it. We welcome your reviews, ideas and comments so speak up and post your comments.
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