Libraries - The times they are a-changin'

The NY Times recently featured an article about new stresses placed upon public libraries as usage increases because of layoffs, downsizing, and other financial and personal stresses. The good news is that people know they can count on libraries to assist them with information. The bad news is that libraries don't have any extra money to increase their services. Click here to read the article.

What readers read during difficult times

The NY Times (4.7.09) features an article about that people like to read during a recession. It will come as no surprise that escapist literature is the popular choice. Click here to read the article by Motoko Rich.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby was published on this day in 1925. F. Scott Fitzgerald's book is one of the titles included in THE BIG READ - the National Endowment for the Arts' campaign to create a nation of readers. Click here for more information about THE BIG READ. It just so happens that The Great Gatsby is the May 19th selection for the Noonday Nosh Book Club! Click here to visit the Nosh page on the Friends' website.

Yiddish Book Center

Today, April 8th, a tip o' the hat to Aaron Lansky. Mr. Lansky wrote a book called Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. He is the founder and President of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. Learn more about the Yiddish Book Center by visiting their website: www.yiddishbookcenter.org.

Author Events @ the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

The Carter Center offers a wealth of events and activities for book lovers. April features Richard Pare talking about The Lost Vanguard: Russian Modernist Architecture 1922-1932; Warren St. John talking about Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Team (about a Clarkston, GA soccer team); Marc Fitten talking about Valeria's Last Stand; and Oylmpic Gold Medalist Dara Torres talking about Age Is Just A Number. Thanks to an alert FORL member for this tip. Here's a link to the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum.

Paperback Book Sale, April 17 - 19

A Weekend Paperback Sale will be held April 17 - 19 in the lobby of the Roswell Library and in the Friends of the Roswell Library Book Store. The sale will be held during the following hours: Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

All small paperbacks will be priced at 4 books for $1.00; large paperbacks at $1.00 each. This is a great opportunity to stock up on your favorite books. All proceeds will be used to purchase books and materials for the Roswell Library

Atlanta Book Club Celebrates 100th Year

Congratulations to the members of the Inquirers Club on their 100th anniversary! This metro Atlanta book club was one of the first African American book clubs for women. Today's AJC features an article about the club written by Gracie Bonds Staples. Click here to read the article.

Patricia Sprinkle @ Noonday Nosh on April 21st

Local author Patricia Sprinkle will join us at the Noonday Nosh Book Club discussion on Tuesday, April 21st @ 12 noon. A selection of her books are on display near the Reference Desk at the Roswell Library. The Friends have purchased many of these copies, so drop by and check one out, and join us on the 21st!

Schindler's List

An Australian State Library researcher discovered a copy of Oskar Schindler's typed list of Jewish workers that he saved from certain death. Admirers of the film and/or book will recall that Schindler's list of "essential workers" saved the lives of over 800 Jews during the Holocaust. Click here to read the article at Bloomberg.com.

Yiddish Book Center

Today, April 8th, a tip o' the hat to Aaron Lansky. Mr. Lansky wrote a book called Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. He is the founder and President of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. Learn more about the Yiddish Book Center by visiting their website: www.yiddishbookcenter.org.

Local Author Makes it Big

Former Roswell Librarian Jim Overbeck's wife, Lois, has co-edited The Letters of Samuel Beckett: Volume I: 1929-1940, the first of three volumes. After much critical acclaim, the book has received a second review in the NYT, this time in the Book Review! Read the review online by clicking here.

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. Here's a nod to poetry from Jim Holt, in the 4/2 edition of the New York Times. He's memorized close to a hundred poems. Click here to read the essay.

Author Walter Mosley

Saturday's AJC featured an interview with mystery writer Walter Mosley. Mr. Mosley was in town to speak at the Carter Center. Click here to read the article.

British author and gardener Beverley Nichols

A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor talks about the enduring popularity of British author and gardener Beverley Nichols. A charming article about a very charming man. Click here to read the article.

A-FPLS owns many copies of Nichols' books. Click here to search the library catalog and place holds on these titles.

When times are tough ...

turn to Nancy Mitford. Or Jane Austen. Or ...

Interesting article about "crisis reads" - books we read (or reread) during difficult times - from the Guardian UK's Culture blogger, Charlotte Higgins. Click this link to read the article: In times of crisis, the solution is simple – send for the Nancy Mitford omnibus