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Martha Canfield Library E-news - March
Welcome to the March edition of the Martha Canfield Library’s e-newsletter. If you have any suggestions, you can email them to our hotmail account or leave them in our suggestion jar on the front desk.
Technology News
Ten new computers have just arrived here through the generosity of Mack Molding. We’ll be unpacking, setting up, networking and installing software during the next two weeks. We expect to have them up and running for you to use by mid-March.
Through an e-Vermont Community Broadband Project grant, we are hosting three computer workshops in the meeting room. The workshops are on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. On March 22 we’ll learn about Free Stuff on the Web, including word processors, spreadsheets, digital audio recorders and websites for storing your photo collection. On March 29 we’ll learn some Basic Computer Skills such as navigating with the keyboard and mouse, opening and closing programs, saving and organizing files, printing documents, getting on the internet, etc. On April 5 we’ll learn Internet Safety Basics and how to protect ourselves from scams and schemes that can compromise our personal and financial information. No registration is necessary.
Another e-Vermont Community Broadband Project workshop will be held at Lyndon State College in Lyndonville on Saturday, March 5, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Citizens in a Connected Age will help you improve your skills at using internet tools for community, business, government and more. Registration is $12.00 and includes lunch. You can get more information and register online at www.e4vt.org or contact Joanna Cummings at the Snelling Center for Government via email:
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Online Catalog
If you haven’t yet tried out our new online catalog you can do so by typing marthacanfield.follettdestiny.com in the address bar (not in a search box). Once you get to the welcome screen just click on the Martha Canfield Library link. You will be logged onto the catalog as a guest and you can see what we have and whether it is checked out. If you wish to create an account using your library card barcode number, click on the create account button on the upper right and follow the instructions. Once you are logged in, you can click the “My Info” tab to see what you have out and when it is due. You can also place a hold on an item that is out, or renew items once, unless they are on hold for another patron. This new catalog was funded by donations from the Vermont Country Store and from our friends. Thank you!
Tax Forms
1040 instruction booklets are here! Most of the forms have arrived, and we now have the book of reproducible forms. We have plenty of the Vermont booklets, too. You can also access less common forms online at www.irs.gov. Vermont forms are found at www.state.vt.us/tax.
Museum Pass
The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain has continued their pass program this year. We have a pass you can borrow which will give a discount on the admission fee for up to 2 adults and 3 youth for the day. ECHO is located on the waterfront in Burlington, so if you’re heading up that way, take advantage of this pass to experience a fascinating science center with interesting activities for kids. They have two special exhibits this year; Raise the Roof, through May 1 and Glow, May through September 6. For more information on the center, visit their website at www.echovermont.org.
For Kids
Come celebrate the anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ birth with a special story time on Thursday, March 3 at 6:30 pm. We’ll read The Cat in the Hat and have a treat.
For Students
The 2011 Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships have been announced. All Vermont students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible to participate at the Berlin Elementary School in Berlin, VT on Saturday, April 9. State champions for several grade levels will be determined. Full details and registration information for this USCF (United States Chess Federation) rated event are available at http://vtchess.info. There is a registration fee of $12.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door.
In the Canfield Gallery
Celebrate still life paintings with an exhibit by Windham artist Nancy Tips. Nancy has a long-standing connection to the Philadelphia school of contemporary realism, whose traditions, techniques and vision provide the grounding for her work. She says, “Each of my paintings is an exploration of individual flowers or fruit and particular light.” Come and join Nancy at an opening reception Saturday, March 5 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
The Russell Vermontiana Collection
By Bill Budde, Curator
As broadband internet access is extended to rural Vermont areas, the library and the Russell Collection have become central partners to provide service in what is referred to as the “SAS service area,” or the Sandgate, Arlington, Sunderland service area. The Russell Collection is focused on two areas that will increase the access to our historic material, aid in preservation of the material, and help to establish closer ties to the communities we serve. One part of the project involves the purchase of equipment to allow us to digitize the more important material and post it on our website. As an offshoot and community service, this will also be a service we can provide to the community so individuals can preserve and share digital copies of documents and photographic images of their family history with relatives and the Collection. We have also started to reach out to the surrounding schools to offer students community service opportunities and possible advanced study for research that uses the Collection’s resources. As this is prepared we hope to have the initial services onsite in the early summer, and other services, such as coordination with the schools and students, becoming available in the fall.
During February we received two interesting donations. Mary Henning donated several items relating to the Arlington Memorial High School, the dedication of the new building in 1942, and several photographs. Dave Thomas also obtained a box of notes and records that originally belonged to a local lawyer in Cambridge, New York, John Law. There are probably two to three hundred items dating from 1790 to 1840 in the collection, and some relate to early Arlington and Sandgate residents.
If you are reading this month’s newsletter, you are probably already aware that the library catalog is now available from the warmth of your own home at https://marthacanfield.follettdestiny.com. Much of the Russell Collection book inventory is included in the online catalog. You will be able to identify Russell Collection titles because the catalog number is preceded by the letters “RUS” and the books are listed as non-circulating reference books. Although they do not circulate, they are available for research within the library, preferably within the Russell Collection itself. If you need help, check at front desk, stop in on Tuesday when the collection is open, or schedule an appointment during the regular week.
The next and final genealogy class in this series will be held in the meeting room on Sunday March 13, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The next series will be scheduled when the new laptop computers and printer are set up for classes. As we discuss new topics members of the seminar will be able to access online resources to try them out, receive feedback and assistance, and become comfortable with the skills needed to take full advantage of the internet.
The Mystery Corner
THE CLERGY - A NICE QUIET PROFESSION
By Martha Folsom
We tend to think the clergy have relatively quiet, peaceful, non-eventful lives. These sleuths prove that idea wrong.
Harry Kemelman – You first meet Rabbi David Small in Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. He is in a small town in Massachusetts, young, happily married, a bit absent-minded when buried in a book, disconcertingly honest and a “scholar” – meaning he is trained in Talmudic reasoning. He can figure out events using logic. Think of him as a charming, likeable Sherlock Holmes.
Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk in 12th century England. The books are excellent historical novels. Brother Cadfael solves crimes through his understanding of humanity and the ability to sense truth. He is helped by his friend, Hugh Beringar, the sheriff. Although not the first, The Potter’s Field is an award winner and a good introduction to the series.
Julia Spencer-Fleming – The 2001 Malice Domestic Award went to In The Bleak Midwinter. It takes place in upstate New York, during the cold winter. A baby is left on the church doorstep and a young mother is murdered. Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson, an ex-army helicopter pilot, and Police Chief Russ Van Alystyne, who was formerly a military policeman, must solve the crime. The chemistry between the two is wonderful.
Monica Quill & Ralph M. McInerny – Under the name Monica Quill, McInerny writes a series about three nuns, Sister Kim, Sister Joyce and Sister Mary Teresa. It is Sister Mary Teresa who actually figures out the mystery while Sister Kim does the leg work. Not A Blessed Thing! Is the first in the series. Under his own name, Ralph M. McInerny writes the Father Dowling series, the first of which is Her Death of Cold. This was the more enjoyable, to me, of the two series; both of which take place in Illinois.
Boris Akunin – Sister Pelagia is a nun, in Russia, during the late 1800’s. Her Bishop describes her as a “walking disaster with freckles”. Nevertheless, he and Sister Pelagia manage to be great sleuths. Recently translated into English, there are three Sister Pelagia books so far, the first is Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog.
William F. Love – If you are a Rex Stout fan you’ll enjoy Love’s series featuring Bishop Regan and his assistant, Jewish detective Davey Goldman, in New York City. They are Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, my favorite duo, in disguise. Start with The Chartreuse Clue, which was a finalist for two “Best First Novel” awards. There are only four books in the series. I wish there were more.
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Sharon Kahn – Ruby Rothman is the Rabbi’s widow. I wish she were a real live person and lived in my neighborhood! She is 46, a red-head with green eyes, wears a size 14 and describes herself as having a “bizarre sense of humor”. The first book in the series is Fax Me a Bagel. Ruby is part owner of the Hot Bagel deli, in Eternal, Texas, where a customer drops dead after eating a cyanide laced bagel.
Alys Clare – Clare has brought into being two wonderful characters, The Abbess Helewise and the Knight Josse d’Acquin. The time is the late 12th century, just as Richard the Lionheart is about to become King, in England. A young nun, from the Abbey, was found apparently murdered. Richard dispatches his knight to find the truth of the matter. They first come together in Fortune Like The Moon.
The Mystery Reading Group meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in the library. We’ll discuss our favorite (or not so favorite) mysteries, maybe watch a movie or two, listen to mystery authors and others with special “mystery” knowledge. If Tuesday is not a good evening for you, but you would like to join us, please let us know what evening would be good for you.
We would love to hear from you about this column, your favorite writers, writers we have missed, best mystery ever... Let us hear from you. Email us at
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Staff Pick by Martha Folsom
Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz
This book is in adult fiction, on the new books shelf. Good for ages 12 to adult.
Rose is a border collie/shepherd mix farm dog. She has an instinctive understanding of her role on the farm. She knows she must protect and control the animals on the farm and help the farmer, Sam. When an unparalleled winter storm hits the area it takes all of Rose’s strength, courage and determination to help save Sam and the farm. Not since Watership Down has a book told from an animal’s perspective moved me to such a degree. This is a story of how a deep understanding of one’s role in life can impart great courage. Powerfully written, Rose in a Storm is a book not to be missed.
New Books
FICTION
The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway
Exit Ghost, by Philip Roth
Independent People: an Epic, by Halldor Laxness
The Invisible Bridge, by Julie Orringer
Mornings in Jenin, by Susan Abulhawa
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: a Modest Bestiary, by David Sedaris
Hunting and Gathering, by Anna Gavalda
Spun by Sorcery, by Barbara Bretton
Shipbreaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Emperor’s Tomb, by Steve Berry
Laced with Magic, by Barbara Bretton
Crescent Dawn, by Clive Cussler
The Lake of Dreams, by Kim Edwards
The Leavenworth Case, by Anna Katherine Green
The Postcard Killers, by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
MYSTERY
Big Jack, by J. D. Robb
The Sentry, by Robert Crais
Trial by Fire, by J. A. Jance
Busy Body, by M. C. Beaton
Alexandria, by Lindsey Davis
Coming Back, by Marcia Muller
NON-FICTION
The Devil’s Rooming House: the True Story of America’s Deadliest Female Serial Killer, by M. William Phelps
Golden Wings and Hairy Toes: Encounters with New England’s Most Imperiled Wildlife, by Todd McLeish
Taste of Home Annual Recipes, 2011
The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, by Eric Foner
Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
Charlie Chan: the Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang
Christianity, the First Three Thousand Years, by Diarmaid MacCullough
Operation Mincemeat, by Ben MacIntyre
All the Devils Are Here, by Bethany MacLean
AUDIO BOOKS
Dark of Night, by Suzanne Brockmann
The Death Trust, by David Rollins
Faithless, by Karin Slaughter
Fantasy in Death, by J. D. Robb
The Jack Benny Program
R is for Ricochet, by Sue Grafton
The Shadow Chronicles
YOUNG ADULT
Grounded, by Kate Klise
Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool (Newbery Medal winner)
The Demon King, by Cinda Williams Chima
The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
CHILDREN
Bone: Treasure Hunters, by Jeff Smith
Mission Unstoppable, by Dan Gutman
Only One Year, by Andrea Cheng
PICTURE BOOKS
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead (Caldecott Medal winner)
The Quiet Book, by Deborah Underwood
CHILDREN’S DVD
The Rainbow Valley Fire Department set
So come on in!
Hours:
Tues. & Thurs. 9 - 8
Wed. 9 - 5; Fri. 2 - 6; Sat. 10 - 3
Closed Sun. & Mon.
Russell Collection: Tues. 9 - 5, or by appointment
Martha Canfield Memorial Free Library, 528 E. Arlington Rd., P.O. Box 267, Arlington, VT 05250 (across from Arlington High School)
Phone: 802-375-6153 e-mail:
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web: www.marthacanfieldlibrary.org
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