Reference@TBML

FRIENDS OF BRANIGAN LIBRARY ANNUAL BOOKSALE

The Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library will sponsor a book sale on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10 AM –4 PM in the Branigan Library Roadrunner Room. This is a major fundraiser for Friends of the Library and all proceeds help to support the library. For great selections, come early!

For more information call Nancy Phillips at 575-649-5591. Thank you for your support of the Friends of the Library.

LOOK FOR OUR NEW STAFF PICKS DISPLAY

 

Rather than only showing you the books that made an award list or some other measure of preeminence, staff decided it is beneficial to show you items they enjoy.  Since we represent community needs and interests and the common reader indeed, we want to present a space that collaborates and demonstrates the sheer variety of our library staff. 

In this area, we hope you will find items such as accessible poetry, cozy mysteries, comedy fiction and non-fiction, domestic excellence, absurdities of life, mystical realism, romance, historical fiction, self-help in areas of business and private matters and much more!  In order to help you locate your interests, first find the appeal you like, then make a mental note of the staff person who enjoys that type book.  Becoming familiar with the staff name will help you connect to books they have loved. 

Another way to connect with items staff enjoy is by searching their name and shelf on our Goodreads Account.  From the library homepage, just click on "Goodreads" link, you will then see each staff member has contributed a bookshelf of materials they deem pleasing.  You can then click on the link that relates back to our catalog and place an item hold on that book or simply find its location to check it out. 

We would love to hear what you think about our staff picks so please say hello and connect with us to talk books.  Afterall, that is the reason we are here; to help you discover in a fast-paced world a personal path to pleasurable reading.  For a better look at Goodreads, go to Goodreads Shelves. mln

Watch for the "We the People" Display and Win Your Reading Metal

 
 
  

We the People

A More Perfect Union 

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library is one of 4,000 libraries across the country selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) to receive free hardcover editions of 17 classic books as part of the We the People Bookshelf grant program. The theme of this year’s Bookshelf is “A More Perfect Union.” 

The award is part of the NEH’s We the People initiative, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. Selected public and school libraries in all fifty states each will receive a set of the seventeen books, bonus materials, including a DVD edition of “The Civil War,” the award-winning documentary by Ken Burns, posters, bookmarks, bookplates, and finally, access to online planning and promotional materials.  Since 2003, NEH and ALA have distributed 17,000 We the People Bookshelf grants to school and public libraries across the country.

The books are on display in the Children’s and Young Adult sections of the library. This summer, children grades K-12 who read all the books in their age category will receive a reading medal.

 

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YA Discussion of ALA Best Book: A Northern Light

 

The Young Adult Department will be reviewing A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly on Tuesday, February 16^th from 7-8 pm in the Terrace Gallery. Students grades 6-12 are welcome to attend but space is limited. A Northern Light is a spellbinding story that contains elements of Theodor Dreiser’s, An American Tragedy and the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun. The book plot’s emphasis centers on the 1906 true crime murder of Grace Brown in upstate New York.

 

In addition, attendees will receive a copy of the book to keep. The Young Adult Department will maintain a copy  for preview at the desk. Please register at the Young Adult Department or call 528-4102. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.

 

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Holiday Giving for Kids

 
 

CONNECT TO A YOUNG PERSON WITH YOUR HOLIDAY GIVING

 

Books are not just for the young person who has too many toys.  If you are having reservations about the perfect gift for the important youth in your life, consider one. The worth of a book’s potential cannot be measured in terms of purchasing power and it’s a present that keeps on giving.  After all, almost all of us remember with appreciation the book or film that had a great impact on some part of our lives.

 

Good books invoke literary appreciation to initiate a life-time habit of reading.  They also aid in normalized development and self-actualization.  These resources discuss topics that will quickly help you identify that valued investment and will enable you to create a more meaningful relationship with a child.

 

BEST WEB-LINKED LISTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

 

ALA YALSA Teens’ Top Ten Best Books (2009)

American Book Sellers Association Kids’ Next (Winter, 2009) 

GraphicNovelReporter  Graphic Novels: A Survey of  Comics Readers(2009) 

ALAN’s Picks: (October 2009)

New York Times Best Illustrated Books (2009)

Booklist Top 10 Arts Books for Youth (2009) 

Booklist Top 10 Books in Religion & Spirituality for Youth (2009) 

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books (2009)

Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s (2009) 

Kirkus Reviews Young Adult (2009) 

Library Journal VOYA Best YA for Adults (2009)

 

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Mad as Hell: Prostate Cancer

Yes, I am; I’m mad as hell and getting more so by the minute! A week ago I found out I have prostate cancer, and anger doesn’t even begin to express my reaction! I mean, it’s as if part of my body has pulled a Bret Favre on me and “gone over to the enemy!” Just great! Now there’s a treasonous assassin lurking inside of me! Oh, yes, we can and will excise it, but that means massive schedule disruption, financial ramifications, job-related paperwork, possible pain, or worse, not to mention the potential destruction of my sex life and if all that isn’t bad enough, I think about it all the time! 

But, I find reasons for optimism.

I have received words of encouragement and support from people that I both know quite well and almost not at all. One such sent me the name, meeting location, dates and time for a Las Cruces prostate cancer support group. It’s the UsToo! Southern New Mexico Chapter and they meet at 6:30 pm on the 4th Tuesday of each month in Memorial Medical Center Conference Room B. Ed Fernandez is the contact person and he can be reached at 575.621.1262 or efernan1@aol.com. This saved me the time and effort of looking up the information for myself. Thanks, Richard!

Another reason for optimism is the advances in surgery techniques and recovery procedures over the past and one half decades or so. When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer longer ago than that, whether the cure was preferable to the disease was a matter for open and heated debate. Now prostatectomy does not inherently mean continuous bleeding and/or incontinence, pain and the abrupt end of a sex life.

How do I know that? Because of another source of optimism—information! My physician and my urologist told me of two websites with a superabundance of helpful, timely and accurate information. My physician told me that Medline plus is a great source of information about prostate cancer.  My urologist told me that Johns Hopkins is the center of the universe when it comes to research plus all the latest and best on prostate cancer treatment, prevention and cure. To tap into this wealth of information, go to the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Between these two web sites, there is more information than one person can assimilate in quite a while. Thanks amazing doctor guys!

Another source of information is books at Branigan Library.  Do a subject or keyword search for prostate cancer and find all manner of books from ones with a Q&A about prostate cancer format to ones about the latest (2006) research trends, to those about a post-prostatectomy love life to much, much more. In fact, I am going down right now to check some out.
MAP

   

Wild Saturday @ Branigan Library

Come and celebrate the opening of Where the Wild Things Are with us!  Maurice Sendak's classic book, Where the Wild Things Are is now a major motion picture and we want to have some fun.  Join us for wild stories, activities, and we'll even make our own wild things! 

This event is open to children of all ages.

So come and join us on Saturday, October 17th at 10:30 AM.

Please contact the Children's Department ( 528-4225) for more information.

October Book Displays @ Branigan Library

 
  New Mexico has long been a place featured in the imaginative writing of authors.  The state is also honored to have many great writers in the Land of Enchantment. That is why one of this month’s display is featuring finalists in the New Mexico Book Awards which honors great books that were written or published in New Mexico and those about New Mexico that were written elsewhere.  Eligible books are entered into categories ranging from children’s picture books to political books to New Mexico literary treasures. The 3rd Annual New Mexico Book Awards for 2009 will be announced November 20 in Albuquerque.  The New Mexico Book Awards display may be found along the wall at the end of the fiction section.  Some books featured in this display include:

Hombrecito's War by: W. Michael Farmer.

Turquoise Girl : An Ella Clah Novel by: Aimée & David Thurlo.

Villages & Villagers : Stories from New Mexico Villages by: Abe M. Peña ; foreword by Marc Simmons.

Other displays this month feature a Halloween theme. Find books on Halloween crafts along with ghost stories and other ghoulish tales like:

Adobe angels : Arizona ghost stories by: Antonio R. Garcez.

Ghosts among us : uncovering the truth about the other side by: James Van Praagh.

The pagan mysteries of halloween : celebrating the dark half of the year by: Jean Markale.

If you are interested in Horror books, check out the display between the fiction and non-fiction sections for some favorite horror stories. 

Gil's All Fright Diner by: A. Lee Martinez

Thirteen Speciments: A Collection of the Bizarre by: Jeffrey Thomas

Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween by: David J. Skal

If you find something you are interested in, please feel free to take the item to circulation to check out.  We hope you have a ghoulishly wonderful time in the Land of Enchantment this month!

--VM

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Join us this all this week for a celebration of banned books.  The American Libraries Association defines intellectual freedom as "the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular."  The entire text of the quote can be found on the American Libraries Association Banned Books page.  

Books that are featured in the Thomas Branigan Library displays have been targets of attempted bannings.  Come in and view our displays and pick up a few books to expand your horizons!

Teen Book Discussion @ Branigan Library

The Young Adult Department is hosting a Teen Book Discussion on Tuesday, October 20 from 7-8 PM in the Terrace Gallery at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.

 

We will be reading The Comet’s Curse by Dom Testa so stop by and pick up your FREE copy!  All of those interested in joining us must register at the YA desk by Friday, October 16 (Deadline has been extended).  When you register, you will receive your free copy of the book to read and then join us for an informal discussion on Tuesday, October 20.

 

The Comet’s Curse has received high praise.  Kirkus Reviews says, “Grabs readers’ attention with the very first page and never lets go. Both a mystery and an adventure, combining a solid cast of characters with humor, pathos, growing pains and just a hint of romance, this opener bodes well for the remainder of the series.”

 

Please call Tina Huyge in the Young Adult Department (529-4011) for more information.

Anyone who will require accommodation for a disability to attend this event, please notify the library 48 hours in advance at 528-4000 or 528-4008 TTY.

Download the flyer here:  Download Young Adult Book Discussion