News Posts

Have you ever watched “Let’s Make a Deal?” It’s fun watching contestants try to make the correct decision to win a nice price and avoid getting zonked.    

I’m a huge picture book enthusiast.  Story time is one of my FAVORITE times.  Reading to my little one at home is a big highlight of my day.

One of the things I overhear occasionally at the library that makes my heart deflate a tidbit is the limitations of that “picture book love” to a “pick one or two” mentality with kids.  Sure, it’s better than none, but to picture book enthusiasts like myself it’s like saying “Here’s a breadstick kid, never mind there’s an entire pizza buffet before you.”

Twenty years ago, Laurie Halse Anderson felt driven by a voice in her to write a book about a young girl who was raped just before she entered high school. This book was Speak.  It sparked much controversy and many conversations about the trauma of rape and rape culture. Through the conversations with survivors after writing Speak and the #metoo movement, Halse Anderson again felt compelled to write Shout.  It is a book of free verse poetry that tells the story of her life including the trauma of her rape at thirteen.

April, designated as National Humor Month and Holy Humor Month, is home to a lot of funny business.

Spring is probably my favorite time of year. The feeling of freshness in the air, rain cleansing my soul, the newness of everything…this is why I love spring.  How has this time of year been celebrated by others? 

What would you say if I told you I want you to read 1000 books to your child? What if I gave you a deadline of before they enter kindergarten? Sound impossible?  It is actually pretty simple and you may already be well on your way.

Never miss your favorite author’s new book again! Did you know you can get an email alert when they have just published a book? Or maybe you want to be notified when the newest book on your favorite topic comes in – say crafts, cookbooks, or American History.  With an email address you can receive these timely notifications.  The new catalog calls these alerts “Saved Searches.”  Our MRRL staff is happy to set this up for you.  Just ask for help at the Information Desk or call us and ask for the Information Desk.  

So let me first start this out with the fact that, at first I was slightly embarrassed by my obsession with K-Pop. And I use the word obsession because that's exactly what it is. Clearly I'm no longer afraid to express my love of K-Pop. Why you ask? Because it's awesome! Like no joke, the best thing in existence. So let me to take you to the beginning:

I’m letting the world know for the very first time: I am an introvert and I’m proud of it!  Introvert is a misunderstood word in our society.  The extrovert is what people love to see; an outgoing, gregarious person.  Schools have arranged classrooms into circles and work places have open areas to facilitate ideas to hone in on the skills of the extrovert (this isn’t a negative thing but it leaves out the strengths of the introvert).

Each January, most of us make resolutions we hope will result in a better version of ourselves.  Generally, eating less and exercising more top the list.  For those of you who may want to save money, volunteer, get smarter, meet new people, and read more, don’t forget about the public library.  We can help you accomplish all these things and probably a few you never thought of.

Did you start off January with a bang full of great ideas and resolutions for improving your life? Are you getting to the sagging middle of the month unsure of whether or not you will complete your resolutions? Why do we start of the new year with such energy only to have it waver by February?

Our library has overdue fees, also known as “fines”  It’s certainly not a favorite aspect of my job. I’ve seen people who recognize me from the library panic at the sight of me and skip aisles in the grocery store only to later approach me in the checkout line to confess: “I know I have overdue fees!  I promise I’ll get that book back next week, I just couldn’t find it and then I had to travel with my son this week to chaperone baseball games and I just keep forgetting! I’m the worst!” 

We asked our staff to tell us about some of their favorite holiday traditions. What started out as a fun post on social media turned into staff sharing some of their favorite memories with each other. We hope you will share your favorites with us too!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Krampus, everywhere I go.  

In recent years, Krampus has been catching on in the United States, but not in the correct way.  There are many movies and books that scratch the surface of our horned friend and blow his reputation out of proportion.

Regardless of what you call those special days at the end of the year – Christmas, Hanukah, holidays (even Festivus!) – you are being encouraged to shop, spend, give, party, and visit. Commercials give you unsolicited advice about the purchase that will make you a winner to friends and family alike; the Hallmark Channel implies true love will come at last; and everyone has a manic fascination with snow that they will then complain about once it starts falling.