Owner-Managed Businesses

Start-Up Guides

The library holds a number of guidebooks useful to people exploring the idea of channelling their talents into starting a business.  Here's a few of the most recently requested titles, by topic.

Lawn Care or Landscaping -- Pet-Sitting & Dog Walking -- Tutoring -- Consulting -- Gift Baskets -- Food -- Clothing Store/Consignment -- Home Cleaning.

For general information on starting a small business, try the latest edition of the Small Business Start-up Kit, published by Nolo Press.  As always, if you are looking for a guide book on how to start a business of another type, please do pass on your recommendations for purchase. 

Last Call : Composter and Rain Barrel Campaign Ends April 30th

Easy Ways to "Go Green"
The East Hampton Public Library is collaborating with East Hampton Public Works and the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) to make Earth Machine backyard compost bins available to the public at an affordable price. In this year's campaign, you can also purchase an affordably priced systern rain barrel. (Today's Hartford Courant features an informative article about rain barrels.)

Click here to read about the products and their respective features and functions. Click here to download an order form. Price include cost of the composter or rain barrel plus CT state sales tax.

After taxes, the library will 'make' about $2 for every unit sold. Of note, 2010's compost bin campaign netted the library $108 which we used to buy books about eco-friendly topics. We'll do the same this year.

Orders must be received by the library by April 30, 2011.

Spring Cleaning

Add a Sheen to Your Homestead

Spring cleaning may not be a favorite job but who doesn't enjoy the outcome?  Here's a few new titles that may help guide your efforts, each with a different viewpoint.

Planet Home by Jeffrey Hollender and Alexandra Zissu

This one walks the reader through the how-to's of cleaning room-to-room and offers easy 'recipes' for making your own cleaning products. Hollender's the founder of eco-friendly household cleaner and personal care company Seventh Generation.

Just Clean Enough by I.B. Caruso and Jenny Schroedel

Just because you're busy doesn't mean you have to lower your standards.  In 5-20 minutes a day, the authors suggest you can cut the clutter, clean and freshen your space, and give yourself permission to be ever so slightly imperfect.

The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning by Anne B. Kocsis

One in a series of eco-friendly titles from Atlantic Publishing Group.

House of Havoc by Marni Jameson

Another fun and reasonable take on keeping it clean by the author of 2009's The House Always Wins.

Cleaning Magic by Joey Green

A book about offbeat ways to use brand-name products to solve problems the products were not designed to solve?  Couldn't help but think of the old SNL routine (floor wax AND a dessert topping!")  Have fun. 

Upcoming Events

Look ahead to June 9th when the library will be offering a free workshop about how to make your own eco-friendly, low-impact cleaning solutions.  Click here for info.

Cute Pooches

Fun Dog Stories
For kids who like dogs, and who are learning to enjoy beginning chapter books, say hello to Lucy, a beagle puppy, and Bobby, his shy 8 year-old owner.  This series, written by Ilene Cooper, includes the following titles :

Absolutely Lucy -- Lucy on the Loose -- Look at Lucy -- Lucy on the Ball.

For the picture book crowd, try any of the following; the list includes recent and classic titles :

Dogs by Emily Gravett
Bulldog's Big Day by Kate McMullan
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
Sally's Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Widget books by Lyn Rossiter McFarland
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Nobody's Diggier than a Dog by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

... and let's not forget the Clifford books by Norman Bridwell.

For Inspiration...

Here's a short list of new books that tell inspirational stories from different perspectives.  A few recommended titles with complementary themes are included.

Heaven Is for Real : a Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Also try :

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven by Kevin & Alex Malarkey

Soul Survivor by Bruce & Andrea Leininger

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Also try :

Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen

Still Alice or Left Neglected by Lisa Genova (Fiction)

The Seven by Glenn Beck & Keith Ablow

Also try :

When Fears Fall Away by Jan Frazier

God Never Blinks by Regina Brett

Real Happiness : the Power of Meditation by Sharon Salzberg

Bottom of the 33rd by Dan Barry

Also try :

Branch Rickey by Jimmy Breslin

The House that Ruth Built by Robert Weintraub

Kiss It Good-bye by John Moody

Cycling Home from Siberia by Rob Lilwall

Also try :

The Woman Who Walked to Russia by Cassandra Pybus

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (sound recording)

Field Guides

From Backyard to the Sea

If you don't always know the difference between one tree or another; which tweet is serenading you from a backyard nest; or what creature called your latest beachcombed shell home, you may enjoy any of the following generously illustrated field guides.

The Book of Leaves by Allen J. Coombes

This five pound wonder includes actual size photos of 600 leaves from around the world. New England's trees are not short-shrifted.

The Books of Shells by M. G. Harasewych & Fabio Moretzsohn

You'll find another 600 entries here, most about familiar mollusks and the geographical regions in which they live.  Among others, DK's Shell, a kid's title by Alex Arthur, may serve as useful companion.

A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes by Valerie A. Kells & Kent Carpenter

If you fish marine waters, this guide may be for you.  The guide will also appeal to rod and reel lovers who are looking to plan a fishing vacation trip to an east or gulf coast locale.

The Book of Fungi by Peter Roberts and Shelley Evans

Due out next week, this guide showcases both the beauty and role of fungi in the natural world. Location maps show each species’ known global distribution.

Birds of North America [American Museum of Natural History]

Any novice or avid birder is likely to enjoy this armchair reference book.  Also try the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America or Bird Songs Bible.

Field Guides and Your Family

Field guides can offer a useful way to plan and forward exploratory outings with your kids.  Pair any of the above guides with how-to books by Richard Louv, who also hosts a website about keeping not just city kids in touch with the natural world.

The library also offers money saving passes to CT's state parks, as part of the statewide No Child Left Inside initiative.

State Reports Anyone?

Our online service portfolio includes AtoZ on our country's states; great for students and/or domestic vacation planners or business travelers looking for credible info.

The AtoZtheUSA database features resources on every state in the union plus coverage on five U.S. territories. It includes not only the standard inventory of facts about each state but also information ranging from interesting to obscure; e.g., brief bios of past governors, tourist attractions, images of baseball cards and license plates, state crossword puzzles and more.

Whether you are researching a state for a school project, upcoming vacation or business trip, this site is worth a visit. The site is regularly populated with historical and latest credibly-sourced information.

How to Access the Service

Take hold of your East Hampton Public Library Card then click here to access the service. Type your local barcode number in the box labeled Library Card, no spaces between digits.

Dinosaurs!

Dinomania!
Itching to learn more about dinosaurs and other animals that lived in their time period?  The library has plenty of the books, DVD's, and information about dinosaur events and destinations.  Here are a few of our favorites.

Books and Reading
Dinosaurs in Your Backyard by Hugh Brewster
Giant Sea Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age by Caroline Arnold
Dizzy Dinosaurs : Silly Dinosaur Poems
How Do Dinosaurs.....? series by Jane Yolen
Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone
Window into the Jurassic World : Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Dinosaurs : the Most Complete, Up-to-date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Also try sports-friendly, tongue-twisting, but still easy-reading titles by Lisa Wheeler : we've got basketball and hockey, plus the soccer title is on its way.

On DVD
Dinosaurs Alive
National Geographic Society: Dinosaurs and Other Creature Features
Ice Age
Sesame Street Dinosaurs
Land Before Time Series

Places to Go, Things to Do
Sea Rex, a 3-D film about marine life alive during the age of the dinosaur, is now playing at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Click here to learn more about the film or read a review of the film courtesy of the Smithsonian.  Keep in mind that the library offers coupons worth 20% off the price of general admission to the Science Center for up to four (4) people.

Also consider a day trip to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and see real fossilized dinosaur footprints as well as participate in a variety of interactive exhibits.  Borrow a library pass and save some money!

As the Saying Goes...

Gardener Support
Next time you stop by the library, check out the center island in our main reading room and browse a collection of gardening books recommended by the members of the East Hampton Belltown Garden Club.  The display includes a range of titles about preparing your garden, designing your garden, choosing plants, organic and eco-friendly approaches, landscaping, and more.

Gardening Books On the Way

The American Woodland Garden : Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest by Rick Darke

The Artful Garden : Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design by James Van Sweden

Gaia's Garden : a Guide to Home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs by Vincent A. Simeone

Inside Out : the Art and Craft of Home Landscaping by Jeff Hutton

The Nonstop Garden : Easy Designs and Smart Plant Choices for Four-season Landscapes by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner

The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra

More on Gardening Book Choices
Click here for a previous post on club and community recommended books, many of them about growing your own food.

About the East Hampton Belltown Garden Club
If you are interested in meeting with other local gardeners, the Belltown Garden Club generally meets in the library community room at 7 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month.  You can also pick up a club flyer at the library, which includes email and phone contact information.

Connecticut Commemorates the American Civil War

Sesquicentennial Commemoration
April 12, 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. Organizations and institutions around our state will be offering forums, events, and programs to help remind us of the toll the war took on our nation and our state, as brother was pitted against brother.

Click here to visit our state's Civil War Commemoration site for information about statewide events.  Locally, the library will host several events with a Civil War theme; click here to visit our online events calendar.

Recommended Reading

Following is a short list of Civil War titles recently added to our collection; we've included several classic and related titles that may also be of interest.

For Us the Living : the Civil War in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts by Mort Künstler

Brady's Civil War : a Collection of Memorable Civil War Images Photographed by Matthew Brady and His Assistants by Webb Garrison

Lincoln on War, edited and with an introduction by Harold Holzer

Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills

Battle Cry of Freedom : the Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Generals South, Generals North : the Commanders of the Civil War Reconsidered by Alan Axelrod

Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles, edited and with an introduction by Walton Rawls

America Aflame : How the Civil War Created a Nation by David Goldfield

Guns of the Civil War by David Adler

Stealing Secrets : How a Few Daring Women Changed the Fate of the Civil War by H. Donald Winkler

Civil War Films

The Civil War Series by Ken Burns (documentary)

North and South

Gettysburg

Glory

Gone With the Wind

The Red Badge of Courage

Food, Conversation, Comfort

In the Kitchen

Though many of us probably spend most of our time in our living rooms, a kitchen that's designed for easy food preparation is probably high on our hit parade, too.  If you are looking for remodeling ideas to keep your kitchen cozy, comfortable, and easy to use, browse any of the following recent titles.

Small Kitchen Solutions (Better Homes and Gardens)

DIYers will enjoy this book about making the best use of small kitchen space while adding a tasteful dash of style.

Kitchens : a Sunset Design Guide by Karen Templer

This one comes with ideas from professional designers and easy to use design software that runs on a PC or Mac.

Kitchen Makeovers for Any Budget by Chris Gleason

Redo or new?  Find out how to make useful decisions on the size of the project you would like to undertake.  Four projects are featured; mix and match their components depending on your objectives and budget. 

Barbecues and Outdoor Kitchens by Bridget Biscotti Bradley

The outdoor entertaining season will soon be here.  The nice mix of extravagant and more practical plans are fun to browse; followed up with DIY information and advice on how to work with contractors.

Transforming Your Kitchen With Stock Cabinetry by Jonathan and Sherry Benson

Professional furniture maker Jonathan Benson and his wife offer tips on modifying and installing cabinetry.

Common Sense Storage : Clever Solutions for an Organized Life

Less about remodeling than how to clutter-bust and get the most out of the space you have in the kitchen, as well as other rooms in your home.   

Locavore Delights

Eat Local

Here's four "for the beginner" books by Ashley English; English is a member of Slow Food USA and writes a regular column for the blog Design*Sponge.

Keeping Chickens with Ashley English : All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock 

Home Dairy with Ashley English : All You Need to Know to Make Cheese, Yogurt, Butter & More

Keeping Bees with Ashley English : All You need to Know to Tend Hives, Harvest Honey & More

Canning & Preserving with Ashley English : All you Need to Know to Make Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Chutneys & More

For companion titles to the above works try fair poultry, cooking (dairy products), bee culture, or canning & preserving.

Surf's Up

Informational and point of view web resources for foodies, foragers, and backyard farmers include :

Local Harvest -- Sustainable Table -- Pick Your Own (CT DOAG) -- Farmers' Markets (CT DOAG) --  Simple Steps (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Books In Bloom

Spring Reads

Here's a quick list of our hot picks for early April.  Most of the above are due for release next Tuesday.  Happy reading!

Bossypants by Tina Fey
One of America's favorite funny people reveals all.

We All Fall Down by Nic Sheff
Sheff offers his not always pretty follow-up memoir to 2007's Tweak.  The related title is Beautiful Boy : a Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction (2006) by Nic's father, David.

The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Probably the final in the thriller series featuring Swedish cop, Kurt Wallander.

The Love of My Youth by Mary Gordon
High school sweethearts meet 30 years after their relationship ended in betrayal. Miranda and Adam find they still much to say to each other...

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Lutz (The Spellman Files series) writes the odd-numbered chapters and her coauthor and ex-boyfriend, poet Hayward, writes the even-numbered chapters in an oddly structured tale about a brother and sister running a pot business.

Bent Road by Lori Roy
A debut novel about dark secrets hidden in mid-1960's rural Kansas.

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
The author's fourth legal thriller featuring Mickey Haller (after Reversal).

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer
What happens when contemporary characters are mysteriously changed by Lysistrata, Aristophanes's biting anti-war comedy?

Commemorating the American Civil War

"That Generations to Come Might Know Them"

Join us on Thursday, April 14, 1 p.m., to learn about Connecticut's Ninth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, better known as Connecticut's Irish Regiment.  The regiment was organized in New Haven in September of 1861.  Members of the Irish American History Society will present information about the 9th in battle, including photos of and letters by the soldiers.  Click here to register for this free, history-related event.

Surf's Up
Monuments to the Ninth Regiment's service are located in New Haven and in Vicksburg National Military Park.  You might also like to visit the Connecticut Historical Society's web site for overview and listing of our state's Civil War monuments.

Your Town

If you spend any part of your day in the Village Center, you've seen this boulder. Discovered in Marlborough by Henry T. Sellew In 1921, a committee of prominent citizens contracted for 4 bronze tablets to honor local veterans who served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American War, and WWI.

Funny Bunnies!

Wiggle Your Nose While You Read...
Here's a quick list of latest additions to our kid-friendly Holiday Book collection :

10 Easter Egg Hunters by Janet Schulman
Big Bunny by Betseygail Rand
Easter Bunny's Basket by Lily Karr (board book)
Hoppy Passover! by Linda Glaser
Who Hid the Easter Eggs? by Pirkko Vainio
The Easter Egg by Jan Brett

Oldies But Goodies (with and without bunnies)
Bunny Day by Rick Walton
Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes (board book)
Why on This Night? by Rahel Musleah
Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

WWII : An Aerial View

The War in the Air
World War II continues to be examined and re-examined by historians. Could the war have been won without good air support? The following titles explore the question of why air cover was an essential component of a combined war effort in a detailed, yet interesting format.

James Holland’s new book, The Battle of Britain: Five Months that Changed History, May-October 1940 studies the significance and contribution the Battle of Britain made to England's survival using new material not previously available.

World War II by aviation historian Donald Nijboer covers the war in the west and in the east with numerous archival images, bombing strategies, and pilot portraits. Also try companion titles : Cockpit and Gunner.

Williamson Murray’s War in the Air, 1914-1945 is one in the Smithsonian History of Warfare series and presents chapters on the First World War, the Interwar Years, the Air War in Europe, and the Air War in the Pacific. Photographs and maps enhance the text, same as other books in this series.

Also of general interest and great for browsing is Fighter : the World's Finest Combat Aircraft, 1914 to the Present Day by Jim Winchester.

Further Reading and Online Services
Ask at the front service desk for pointers to a variety of resources about World War II, its aerial operations, and fighter pilots. Don't forget our subscription to Encyclopædia Britannica Online, a handy and credible research tool which you can access using your local library card.

Post by Bev Simmons

Photo credit : Four U.S. Army Air Forces P-51 Mustang fighter airplanes in formation over the Italian countryside during World War II. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Source : P-51. [Photograph]. In Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition Retrieved from http://library.eb.com/eb/art-101029

Quirk Classics : Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The Saga Concludes...

If you are a fan of Jane Austen's classic novels -- or if you don't mind the idea of Pemberton being overrun by unruly swarms of the undead -- the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies trilogy may be for you. The final book in the series published by Quirk Classics was released today.

Unconfirmed rumors (as rumors tend to be) say the first book will soon become a big screen film.

Further Reading and Viewing
For a quick list of Jane Austen's novels, related fiction/non-fiction, and films, click here.

For a quick list of other zombie fiction and films, click here.

Queen of the Nile

Cleopatra
Stacy's Schiff's biography of the charismatic and enormously powerful Cleopatra has graced the NYT bestseller list for over 18 weeks. Little wonder; the book is rich in detail but reads like a fast-paced novel. It also takes on the popular myths that surround the Queen of Egypt, providing a more balanced portrait of her life and times.

A great read by a Pulitzer-prize winning author.

Further Reading, Listening and Viewing
Cleopatra : Life & Death of a Pharaoh by Edith Flamarion
Cleopatra by Michael Grant (audio CD)
Cleopatra by Don Nardo (young adult & adult readers)
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley (for grade-school children)

... and let's not forget the classic film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Post by Bev Simmons

Image Above : Cleopatra: bas relief portrait of Cleopatra. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition.

Click here and use your East Hampton Public Library card barcode number to sign into Encyclopædia Britannica Online for research and enjoyment.

Book News!

Looking for a Good Read?
Check out our monthly newsletters for tips on bestsellers, regarded or award-winning books, locally popular titles, or great reads you may have missed along the way.

The newsletters include reviews, descriptions and quite often, author commentaries and special features. Newsletter titles link directly to the library's online catalog, where you can place holds on items you decide you want to read and check out at the library.

You can subscribe to our newsletters using your email address or via an RSS reader. Newsletters are updated on the 15th of each month. Click here for March newsletters.

e-Discover the Classics

East Hampton Project Gutenberg
Did you receive an e-book reader as a holiday gift? Wondering what to put on it? Thanks to Project Gutenberg and the Colorado Library Consortium, the library is offering over 400 classic e-book titles, all downloadable for free.

How-to
Use our online catalog as usual to search for and find perennial favorites such as Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre, Sunzi’s Art of War, and many more. e-books are flagged with a digital file icon and you will see a link in the record: “click here to access a downloadable book.”

Click on this link and you’ll be taken directly to the download page of Project Gutenberg, which has files in a variety of formats appropriate for your computer, your new e-reader, or your cell phone. The titles are copyright free so you can build a personal reading list and legally keep the content.

To Browse the Collection of e-Classics
Enter Gutenberg in an Author Search.