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National Library Week Pop-Up Demos April 7-13

National Library Week 2024 Pop-Up Demos

National Library Week 2024 Pop-Up Demos

National Library Week Pop-Up Demos April 7-13

Sunday, April 7–Saturday, April 13

National Library Week is the annual celebration of the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. The Library is a space for everyone, fostering inclusivity and offering endless possibilities.  It’s a place where you can find your thing. No matter where you are on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, or raising a family—the Library provides an inclusive and supportive community where everyone belongs.

Get ready to explore, become inspired, and connect with the Library! View the schedule below.


Pop-Up Schedule

Stop by any day during National Library Week for pop-up demos showcasing materials, services, and resources you may not be familiar with. Learn something new, ask questions, and discover all the possibilities at the Library.

Pop-up events take place at both libraries at various times of the day. No registration required.

Sunday, April 7

eNewsletters & Book List Emails

2–4 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Stay informed about Library events and sign up to receive genre-specific book lists directly in your inbox. Plus, find out how to customize your email preferences to receive only the topics that interest you.

Library Apps, Text Notifications & Freezing Holds

2–4 pm • Cook Park Library

Never lose track of your library card, miss a due date, or overlook a hold again! Discover these convenient and powerful library features to stay organized and informed.


Monday, April 8

Behind the Scenes: Book Processing

9–11 am • Cook Park Library

What does it take to prepare a new book for the library shelf? There are more steps than you may think!

Digital Studios & Circulating Equipment

5–7 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Learn about the amazing free audio and visual tools available in the Digital Studios. Experiment with an analog synthesizer and explore the range of tech items you can borrow, such as Rokus, mobile hotspots, and gaming systems.


Tuesday, April 9

Bookmobile BINGO

2–4 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Find the Bookmobile in the parking lot and hop aboard for a fun game of BINGO.

Database Deep Dive

2–4 pm • Cook Park Library

Research topics or learn new skills with help from our robust list of 80+ online databases, including Consumer Reports, Creativebug art classes, LinkedIn Learning, and so much more — all free with your CMPLD card.


Wednesday, April 10

Library Apps, Text Notifications & Freezing Holds

11 am–1 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Never lose track of your library card, miss a due date, or overlook a hold again! Discover these convenient and powerful library features to stay organized and informed.

eNewspapers & eMagazines

2–4 pm • Cook Park Library

No paywalls here! Learn how to use your Library card to access online subscriptions to popular newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Real Simple, The Atlantic, and more.


Thursday, April 11

Book Club Basics

11 am–1 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Find out more about our 11 in-house book clubs for adults. We’ll also show you how our local book club service can help select, schedule, and acquire a variety of well-reviewed titles for your club, including cookbooks!

Digital Studios & Circulating Equipment

5–7 pm • Cook Park Library

Learn about the amazing free audio and visual tools available in the Digital Studios. Experiment with an analog synthesizer and explore the range of tech items you can borrow, such as Rokus, mobile hotspots, and gaming systems.


Friday, April 12

Library Home Delivery

11 am–1 pm • Aspen Drive Library

The Library can deliver materials to seniors and people with disabilities that keep them homebound. Let us tell you how.

Genealogy Services at the Library

11 am–1 pm • Cook Park Library

Don’t get stuck behind a brick wall — Unravel your roots with help from these powerful (and free!) genealogy tools available at the Library.


Saturday, April 13

Kids & Caregivers: Fun Activities & Helpful Resources

11 am–1 pm • Cook Park Library &
2–4 pm • Aspen Drive Library

Drop in for fun kids’ activities while you learn about resources to spark your child’s imagination and encourage their reading habits over the summer.

Categories: Books and More, Crafting & Maker, Digital Studios, eLibrary, Events, Genealogy, Kids, Library News

Tags: Books and More, Crafting & Maker, Digital Studios, eLibrary, Events, Genealogy, Kids, Library News

Erica's Pick of the Week: The Framed Women of Ardemore House

As a seasonal reader, I find spring challenging. I’m not ready for the effervescent reads of summer, but I’m also not looking for the big literary titles of the colder months. Instead, I want something that balances substance and charm, something both engaging and offbeat.. Something fresh and fun and a little bit bracing – an admittedly tall order.

Enter The Framed Women of Ardmore House by Brandy Schillace – a not-quite-cozy mystery featuring an unconventional sleuth, a delightful supporting cast, and a thoroughly modern puzzle of a crime. It’s a perfect fit for fans of The Marlow Murder Club, The Maid, or Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge.

Jo Jones has lost a lot in the last few years. Her marriage. Her publishing company (and hence, her job). Her mother. Her confidence. Her sense of belonging. So when she inherits a long-lost relative’s English country estate, the broke and bereft Jo finds it easy enough to pick up and move across the pond. She also finds it easy enough to fire Sid, the estate’s smarmy caretaker, especially given the falling-down state of the property.

More difficult? Convincing the police she’s innocent of murder when Sid turns up dead and a potentially priceless painting disappears. She’s an outsider, after all – a fish out of water, and not just because she’s an American. Jo is neurodivergent; her autism made her an outstanding book editor, but it also makes her self-conscious around other people. The police don’t appreciate her idiosyncrasies, but she quickly befriends the village innkeeper and a Welsh antiques dealer, and eventually, the lead detective. Jo’s desperate to clear her name – and to find the missing painting, a portrait of an unknown woman. The problem is that the killer seems equally interested in the painting…and Jo. 

This is a tightly constructed whodunit, full of humor and engaging characters, including Jo, her newfound allies, and McAdams, the sad-sack detective who finds Sid’s case unexpectedly challenging. Red herrings and likely suspects abound, giving the story the feel of a Golden Age mystery; the contrast of classic tropes with contemporary issues is both refreshing and realistic.

While Sid’s murder is solved by the last page, Ardemore House holds enough secrets that readers will look forward to a return visit.

Categories: Books and More

Tags: Books and More

What Was Her Name?

Have you had difficulty finding a female ancestor’s maiden name? Perhaps you cannot find her middle name either? Even though it may be more difficult to find this information, due to a variety of historical and social factors, it is not impossible! With a little determination and extra information, you may be able to find this information in conventional and non-conventional places.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are lifting up and celebrating the women in our families who were instrumental parts of our heritage, but who may not have been given as much attention in records and historical resources. To find your female ancestors, it is essential to know more about the time periods in which they lived as well as the laws that were active. Both of these can provide context and give you hints about places to look as well as the types of records that were collected. Once you have gained a better understanding of these, you can then begin to search newspapers, personal/family papers, organizational records, and even military files. Of course, you will want to also scrutinize census and vital records to see if they contain any clues that may help solve the mystery. Finally, you will want to research all of her friends, associates, and neighbors, particularly her spouses and children. For those who are interested in DNA, mitochondrial DNA (passed from mother to child) may be a great resource for learning more about some of your female ancestors.

If you are interested in exploring additional possibilities, the library has several resources that provide additional tips and suggestions. Many are currently on display (through March 2024) on the Lower Level of Cook Park Library, across from the genealogy collection.

Photo of Women's Genealogy Books on Library Display Shelf

Also, check out this guide from the Library of Congress for even more information and tips. Be sure to explore the Tracing Women pages on the Family Search wiki, too. In addition, listen to Amy Johnson Crow’s podcast with several tips. Finally, check out these five strategies for finding female ancestors. Good luck with your search!

Categories: Genealogy

10-Year Anniversary of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten logo

Get ready to celebrate a decade of literacy milestones: the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program turns 10 this year! This cherished initiative plays a crucial role in nurturing language and early literacy skills for your child’s future reading endeavors.

Join the party and make a splash during our celebration from March 1 to May 31. Whether you’re a past, future, or current participant, drop into the library for activities, adorable photo ops, and the chance to win fantastic prizes in special drawings.

Two winners will be drawn each month of the celebration.

 

There are four ways to enter:

  1. Join 1KBK. Visit the Children’s Desk to sign up.
  2. Already in 1KBK? Check your progress in at the Children’s desk.
  3. Complete 1KBK or tell us you completed it in the past.
  4. Snap a photo with our photo frame then post it on social media with the hashtag #1000booksCMPLD. Don’t forget to tag the Library @cooklibrary!

Visit the Children’s Desk at either Library location for more information and start reading!

Categories: Early Childhood, Kids

Pop Culture Through Seven Books

Some of the most fun I’ve had reading nonfiction were books that were published on the right topic at the right moment. For example, The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman served up a healthy dose of nostalgia and debuted at number two on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2022.

Below are seven new nonfiction books that highlight a moment in American TV, film, music, fashion, or general popular culture.

six book covers

Bring It On: The Complete Story of the Cheerleading Movie that Changed, Like, Everything by Kase Wickman 

The first thing we learn in this book is that movies are entrepreneurial things. They are projects filled with contracts. Funding comes with risk.  Welcome to the business. Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger had a draft for a movie called “cheer fever”. Four years, fairy dust, and 90 days later, she had a director, staff, and a cast. What follows is a behind the scenes look at the real-life Hollywood process that created Bring It On.  

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion by Sowmya Krishnamurthy 

Krishnamurthy writes about the intersection between fashion and hip hop. The music artists create influences the fashion artists wear. High fashion brands have responded by collaborating with hip hop artists. European and American laws regulating who could wear what gave way to using fashion as a social climbing tool. We discover the 1991 Chanel Hip-Hop collection, meet Karl Kani, and witness the 1980s and 90s collaborations between music artists and clothing designers that have become a part of fashion history. 

The American Way: A True Story of Nazi Escape, Superman, and Marilyn Monroe by Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler 

Jules, an ordinary American and recent immigrant from Germany, happened upon Marilyn Monroe one day in New York while she was filming a movie in 1954. In the series of events that followed, Jules’ film is the only film that survived that night. How did Jules and his family arrive in the US and what happened that night? We first meet publisher (and scoundrel) Harry Donenfeld in 1929 New York. Witness the truth of this tall tale and see the “golden age” of Hollywood through fresh eyes. 

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy 

Kate Kennedy, podcaster and pop cultural commentator, argues what girls see in their formative years about femininity shapes girls’ perspectives on themselves as women once they’ve grown up. Kennedy defines “millennial” as a person born between 1981 and 1996. References include AOL instant messenger, Lisa Frank products, 10 Things I Hate About You, Saved by the Bell, and Kennedy being “team *NSYNC”. The arguments presented are cathartic but not new.  The sensation of “being seen” with trip down memory lane is enjoyable regardless. 

Wannabe: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shapes Me by Aisha Harris 

Harris analyzes and discovers the pop cultural connections that have made her the person she is today. As NPR’s host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, Harris really knows pop culture. We start out in “isn’t she lovely” by connecting the dots between black names and how artists use them in music and tv shows. Then Harris delves into how readers can be critics of black art. Other chapters are titled “Ebony & Ivory” and “This is the IP That Never Ends”.  

And Don’t F&%k it Up: An Oral History of RuPaul’s Drag Race (the First Ten Years) by Maria Elena Fernandez  

In And Don’t F&%k it Up, author Maria Elena Fernandez interviews your favorite names and some of the people who worked behind the scenes to make RuPaul’s Drag Race the hit show the pop cultural phenomenon it is today. The commentary is slated in continuous blurbs throughout the entire book, where speakers reference each other and break down the fourth wall.  

Welcome To The OC: The Oral History by Alan Sepinwall, in conversation with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and the Cast & Crew 

Who knew that the next big thing after 90210 and Dawson’s Creek would come from Josh Schwartz, a blue-collar college kid with a script about a boarding school? Written in a similar fourth-wall breaking manner as “And Don’t F&%k it Up”, “Welcome to The OC” quickly gets to casting, then filming. Read this book to both reminisce and catch up with your favorite 00s teen actors. After The OC, Josh Schwartz went on to produce both Gossip Girl adaptations, Hart of Dixie, Looking for Alaska, Dynasty, The Carrie Diaries, and more.  

Categories: Books and More

Tags: Books and More

Marianne’s Pick of the Week: Table for Two by Amor Towles

Book cover with two people sitting at a table

 

Amor Towles needs no introduction, his last two novels, A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway, were runaway bestsellers (and I loved them). In this outing Towles offers us one novella and a collection of short stories.  

In Table for Two Towles brings us stories that center on unlikely encounters that result in unexpected resolutions. We meet a variety of characters in some truly crazy situations. Get ready to encounter a man in Soviet-era Russia who makes a living by holding peoples’ places in line; two strangers whose flights are delayed end up sharing a cab and much more; a naive would-be author who is duped by a used bookseller into forging famous authors’ signatures and a concertgoer who is driven nuts by an elderly patron who is secretly recording the concerts. The thread holding these tales together is a key moment in each story that occurs between characters sitting at a table for two.  

The final piece in the collection is the novella Eve in Hollywood. We are reintroduced to the indomitable Evelyn Ross from Towles’ first novel Rules of Civility. Eve has made the decision to leave New York and return home to Indiana, but instead of getting off the train in Chicago, Eve opts to extend her trip to Los Angeles. Here Eve meets and becomes besties with Olivia De Havilland (yes indeed, Miss Melly from Gone with the Wind). We follow Eve and Livvy enjoying a lavish life in Hollywood (oh the parties). That is until Eve is called upon to rescue Livvy from a possible career-ending situation.  

Towles brings readers a story filled with noirish details (ex-cops, con men, washed up actors and wise guys). Of course we have the main attraction, Eve herself, a scarred blonde and self-professed tough chick. Towles is an expert at creating settings and establishing tone. I found myself wanting to talk with an old Hollywood-style voice and wear high heels with a pencil skirt. I was there in 1930s Hollywood, hobnobbing with gangsters, starlets and studio heads.  

Pick up this book if you enjoyed Towles’ other novels, happen to enjoy short stories (Uncommon Type from Tom Hanks) or if you’re looking for a stylish read that also has substance along with a bit of irony on the side.  

Categories: Books and More

Tags: Books and More

Bookies Talk: The ACOTAR Episode

Podcast logo

Erica and Bronwyn, the Library’s Communications Coordinator, talk about the romantasy series that has taken over the internet: Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, the RenFaire, and how books are better with friends.

Titles mentioned in this episode:

Want more ACOTAR readalikes? Fill out our Ask A Bookie form for a personalized list of suggestions.

 

Categories: Books and More, Podcast

Mary’s Pick of the Week: Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Book Cover

“Sometimes I think I have a parasite.  I feel like there is a creature crawling inside me, trying to migrate to my brain.  I picture him like Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants; a malevolent little mastermind who is trying to use my body like a Trojan horse.  I worry that I am a shell for something bad.  That deep down, in the spot where most people keep their souls, I keep a weird little bug.  I picture him there, leaning on the apple core of my soul, crunching on what remains of what’s good of me.”

Emily Austin, Interesting Facts About Space, pg. 41-42

 

So the above paragraph is a bit creepy, but once you get used to the voice of our main character, believe it or not, you’ll find it funny and oddly charming.  Enid has a very difficult time with relationships.  She’s disarmingly endearing to many, but getting too close to anyone sends her anxiety levels soaring.  By the time we meet her she’s finally met her adult half-sisters who’d love to get to know her better, alarming her to no end.  The half-sisters are a product of her late father’s second marriage  Rather than stress her mother out, who still grieves the divorce and her deceased ex, Enid redirects and opts instead to regale her mother with amazing but true facts about our solar system and beyond.  Space facts and true-crime podcasts keep her from addressing the uncomfortable truths in her life.  Romantic interests are handled with the same techniques, as Enid prefers to keep her entanglements physical and on the surface.  That is, until she meets Polly.  As their relationship develops, Enid’s insecurities mount to the point where she’s nearly incapacitated.

 

While Enid is a wholly unique character, Austin makes her anxiety relatable, reminding readers that our flaws and quirks are an important part of what makes us human.  She’s offbeat and unpredictable in all the best ways, and when a mysterious person is caught on camera breaking into her house, it sends Enid into a tailspin and forces her to confront long-forgotten memories that led her to this place of doubt and self-loathing.  Prepare to laugh out loud and be moved by this special book.

 

Readers who’ve enjoyed Susan Mallery’s The Happiness Plan and Morgan Rogers’ Honey Girl will not be disappointed.

Categories: Books and More

Tags: Books and More

The Luck of the Irish…Maps

Have you been searching for an elusive Irish ancestor? Are you a bit of a cartophile (lover of maps)? Then, perhaps you would have luck finding them using the surname maps of Ireland. There are several versions, each based upon different records and genealogical data, so depending upon when your ancestor emigrated from Ireland, you may want to consult a particular one, or multiple ones. As many genealogists know, maps can really help illumine your ancestral history, and these versions add additional possibilities!

  • Barry Griffin’s Irish Surname Maps https://www.barrygriffin.com/surname-maps/irish/
    • On this site, you can enter a surname to plot a map of its distribution for the 1901 and 1911 census of Ireland. You can also use wildcards to target name variations and expand your search results. As Esri’s notes, “We tend to assume that surnames are of ancient origin. In fact, they were quite fluid from generation to generation in Ireland (and elsewhere in Europe) until about 900-600 years ago.”
  • Esri’s Mapping Irish Surnameshttps://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2019/irish-surnames/map/
    • On this site, you can enter a surname in the search box to see where it was most common. This map is “based on a late-19th-century report that cataloged surnames by county; if five or more children born within a county shared a surname, then that name appeared on the list.” You can also zoom in and out on the map to see where surnames were commonly found.
  • John Grenham’s Irish Nameshttps://www.johngrenham.com/surnames/
    • Like with the others, you can use the search box to enter a surname. You can also use wildcards to account for name variations and expand your search. In addition, you can browse the surname listings for spelling suggestions. This resource contains data from various records, dating between 1864 and 1911. The search results will even display county-by-county results and additional information about surname variations.

Image of Irish Surname Word Cloud

Conceivably, one of these resources has helped you identify an area to search. Once you identify a region (or several), go to these sites to search their records to see if you can find records about/by your ancestor.

  • RootsIrelandhttp://www.rootsireland.ie
    • Please note, this resource does not include records from Kerry, Cork (South), Carlo, or Dublin City, so if your ancestors lived in these counties, consider IrishGenealogy (detailed below). According to Deb Dudek, “The Ship Manifest Records on RootsIreland are particularly good, as they contain accurate surname spellings, a departure date, occupations (missing from early records in the US), the ship name, and everyone listed in the outgoing family unit.” This site claims to have “the most extensive and easily searchable database of Catholic Church records anywhere online.”
  • IrishGenealogyhttp://www.irishgenealogy.ie
    • This site specializes in counties not covered or widely available on RootsIreland, namely Kerry, Cork (South), Carlo, and Dublin City. On IrishGenealogy, you can search for a wide variety of records. Sometimes, you can find images directly on this site by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The site itself is divided into civil and church records, and you can use their research guides to learn more about their records and Irish genealogical research.
  • NLI Catholic Parish Registershttp://registers.nli.ie
    • If you find that your ancestors were Catholic, you may be able to find additional information through the parish registers that are available through the National Library of Ireland. This great resource allows you to search by parish name, diocese, county, and region. You can use their interactive map to start your search.

Ideally, if you are green to Irish genealogical research, this has mapped the territory a bit. If you are a seasoned researcher, perhaps you can still find some uncharted territory to explore. If you still need a little help, try out GENUKI which includes location guides for the various Irish regions, counties, and parishes. This website also has an interactive map.

Finally, do not forget about all the Irish genealogy resources that are available at the library! These include genealogical atlases, surname books, and regionally specific record finders.

Hopefully, you will do a jig after learning about one (or several) of these resources! Happy Irish American Heritage Month!

Categories: Genealogy

Tags: Genealogy

The Year in Film (2023) / Oscars Recap

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

For the 9th year in a row librarians Becky and Nate discuss last night’s Academy Awards ceremony and celebrate the year in film.

Listen and discover the highlights – the movies recognized by the Academy and the movies that were overlooked but not to be missed.

Then find out how your library card is the ultimate ticket to the movies.

Subscribe to the Cook Memorial Public Library Podcast.

Categories: Books and More, Podcast

Tags: Books and More, Podcast

Cook Memorial Public Library District

Install Cook Memorial Public Library District

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap then “Add to Home Screen”