Wednesday, August 22, 2007

It's Still Rock and Roll

The Beatles Anthology on DVD
Classic rock struts its' stuff in this anthology of the Fab Four's indisputable transformation of post-Elvis rock and roll. Filled with interviews and performances -- and stories of both success and failure -- these films give a comprehensive visual history of what is arguably the world's all-time favorite band.

Check out this series (8 parts on 4 DVDs) for a look back at a time you may remember or share it as a family with your tweens or teens. Each DVD circulates for 2 weeks.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Did You Know?

Not So Small Services @ your library
Our services certainly include the obvious; that is, we buy materials using your tax dollars and you borrow them. What we have learned, however, is some of our services fly slightly lower on your radar. Here's a few...

Deposit Collections
Our staff selects collections for delivery as deposit collections located at Chatham Acres and Bellwood Court senior housing centers. Collections are rotated every 4-6 weeks and consist of a hand-picked selection specific to each site. For additional information, contact Beverly Simmons, Older Adult Service Librarian, at 267-6621 or click Contact Us.

Art Prints to Go
Did you know you can check out art prints from the Library? Come browse the collection and borrow any of nearly 30 pieces for up to 8 weeks. A limit of 2 prints may be checked out at one time and may not be renewed. The collection is funded by the Friends of Library. Home staging anyone?

Speed Reads
With Speed Reads, you don't have to wait to read that latest bestseller from our 14-day loan collection. No requests or holds - if it's there, it's yours to check out for 7 days. Read with speed; the fine for a late speed read return is $1 per day.

Value Line
Value Line, an investment advisory service that rates hundreds of stocks as to safety, timeliness and projected price performance, is available in our print reference collection. It's best known for the Value Line Investment Survey, a comprehensive source of information and advice on approximately 1,700 stocks, more than 90 industries, the stock market, and the economy.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Tuesday Stress Reliever: Join Our Community Drum Circle

We've Got Rhythm to Spare and Share
The East Hampton Public Library makes its Community Room available to area folks interested in joining with others in a community drum circle. Drum circle programs are scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month, in the library Community Room. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m.

What's a Drum Circle, You Ask?
A drum circle is a collaboratively self organized musical event; anyone can participate. People of all levels of musical expertise can join in the circle and share their rhythm and whatever drums and percussion they bring to the event. You don't have to be a drummer to participate; all you need is a willingness to make music; share your rhythmic spirit; and release some positive energy in the process.

Bring along your drum to the Tuesday programs or think creatively: play a plastic water bottle turned upside down with the neck cut off; shake a soda can with rocks in it; or hit two sturdy sticks together. All you really need to know how to do is form a circle and add your spirit to the rhythm of your community's drums.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

History Made Real on Reel

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie."

So reads an ancient stone at Thermopylae in northern Greece, the site of one of the world's greatest battles.

In the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Spartan enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history.

History buffs may enjoy the epic dramatization of the battle, 300, or the History Channel's documentary, Last Stand of the 300. We also recommend Paul Cartledge's new non-fiction book, Thermopylae : the Battle that Changed the World and an older novel, Gates of Fire : an Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield.


Thursday, August 09, 2007

Knit Your Own iPhone

Cute Baby Meets Cool Phone
Greg Allen blogs for daddytypes.com "the weblog for new dads." (We'll let you visit Allen's blog on your own if you're interested.) Concerned about his 3 year-old daughter's attraction to his oh-so-high-end iPhone, Allen asked his talented and "insanely cool" mom to whip up a wooly substitute. She did.

Needless to say the comments poured in, mainly in the form of requests for instructions on how to knit a toddler-friendly version of the most classy gizmo to come down the pike in years. The squishy phone pattern comes with a second pattern for a Pop Tart cell phone case.

For those of you looking for more conventional ways to use your yarn, link to our catalog.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

A Well-Deserved Salute and Slow Adieu to VHS Format

Started as a Breeze But Now It's Windy
Seven years ago, the library launched its DVD film collection. VHS format was still the in-home standard for most of you; but then came DVDs. We tagged-teamed additions to VHS and DVD film collections for as long as we could; but since DVD is now your in-home standard, we no longer purchase films in VHS format. The good news is we have already started to replace continuously popular VHS titles with their DVD counterparts.

Adieu Adult VHS
Over the next few months we'll slowly withdraw titles from our adult VHS film collection to make room for -- you guessed it -- DVDs. Small groups of withdrawn titles will be value-priced and made available for purchase at the Friends of the Library Book Store located in our Community Center complex. If you'd like "first dibs" on a title we own, sign up with the Friends and they'll contact you when the title is available for sale. The Friends Book Store is open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Proceeds from book store sales support specialized library programs and services.