Author: berryvillelibrary

"Our library, our future"

Maker Corner: July

Over the past few years, we’ve been developing and expanding our reach into the world of making, by offering both programs and resources.

What exactly is making? Well, we actually helped craft a formal definition for it for library staff across the nation. But the short answer is pretty simple: it is the process of being willing to get your hands dirty and learn while you create whatever you want to make to accomplish a task or just have fun. Do you cook?  Do you craft? Do you invent? Do you build? Do you fix things? You are a maker! 

In fact, some are even talking about making as at the core of a new type of literacy: invention literacy  (i,e, the ability to look around you and figure out how human-made things work). Like any type of literacy, you can never be too old or too young to start your making journey and nurturing the growth mindset on which all making depends. You also can never have enough tools in the forms of books to get your creative juices flowing.

So, this year we plan to highlight all of the various making resources we have–which range from needlework to Legos to more. July is all about Legos! Did you know we have a Lego Club that meets regularly on Wednesdays from 4 pm to 5 pm? Usually it meets twice a month, but this summer it was every week and it was a big hit every time! We also have some pretty cool resources devoted to Legos.

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Movie Review: Cocaine Bear (2023)

In 1985, a motley assortment of people descend on Georgia’s Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest. Some of them have rather wholesome reasons for going (wanting to paint a waterfall or hike) while others have a more nefarious purpose (retrieving the cocaine shipment that went down there in a plane crash). What none of them could anticipate is that a black bear has consumed the cocaine and is on an aggressive drug-fueled rampage. What could possibly go wrong?

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Book Buzz: Book Codes, Mysterious Happenings, Haunted Crows, Environmental Disasters, Garden Composts, Awkward Vacations, and Audiobook Romances

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For July, we’re looking at a puzzle-style mystery about books and codes, a gothic mystery set in the Victorian era, a contemporary Canadian literary horror novel, a nonfiction story about an infamous environmental disaster in the 1970s, a guide to composting, and audiobooks about romances.

Continue reading “Book Buzz: Book Codes, Mysterious Happenings, Haunted Crows, Environmental Disasters, Garden Composts, Awkward Vacations, and Audiobook Romances”

Walk a Mile In My Shoes: July

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you join our journey. For July, our theme is disability.

Continue reading “Walk a Mile In My Shoes: July”

Maker Corner: June

Over the past few years, we’ve been developing and expanding our reach into the world of making, by offering both programs and resources.

What exactly is making? Well, we actually helped craft a formal definition for it for library staff across the nation. But the short answer is pretty simple: it is the process of being willing to get your hands dirty and learn while you create whatever you want to make to accomplish a task or just have fun. Do you cook?  Do you craft? Do you invent? Do you build? Do you fix things? You are a maker! 

In fact, some are even talking about making as at the core of a new type of literacy: invention literacy  (i,e, the ability to look around you and figure out how human-made things work). Like any type of literacy, you can never be too old or too young to start your making journey and nurturing the growth mindset on which all making depends. You also can never have enough tools in the forms of books to get your creative juices flowing.

So, this year we plan to highlight all of the various making resources we have–which range from needlework to Legos to more. June is all about maker resources for kids! There’s no excuse to claim they’re bored this summer. 🙂 Thanks so much to Julie for helping me research this post!

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David Grann’s The Wager

In 1740, when British Commodore George Anson finally set sail with his squadron of ships that were charged with disrupting Spanish maritime trade in the Pacific, many of his men were relieved to be at sea after an inauspicious and trouble-ridden start to the expedition. The numerous sick and recalcitrant sailors who’d been press-ganged into service on the ships were less than thrilled, but none of them could have expected the sheer cascade of bad fortune that would befall one ship in particular–the HMS Wager.

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Book Buzz: Canadian Indigenous Fiction, Pirates, Cairo, Poetry, Investigative Journalism, and Agatha Christie Classics

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For June, we’re looking at a novel about residential school survivors, a new fantasy series that melds history with pirates and magic, a fantastical graphic novel about modern Egypt, an anthology of poems, a new look at a tragic crime, and an audiobook of an old favorite.

Continue reading “Book Buzz: Canadian Indigenous Fiction, Pirates, Cairo, Poetry, Investigative Journalism, and Agatha Christie Classics”

Walk a Mile in My Shoes: June

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you lace up those sneakers and join our journey. For June, our theme is culture bumps, particularly regarding immigration and emigration.

Continue reading “Walk a Mile in My Shoes: June”

Peace, Love, and Reading This Summer at the Berryville Public Library

Today marks the first day of summer reading sign-ups, and we are very excited to introduce our theme, Peace, Love, and Reading.

After 3 years of reading challenges to raise money for the new library, we’re taking a step back from matching hours, but we still have reading fun for everyone. This year, we’re all about games, and most of you will be able to choose your own game adventure for the summer!

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Maker Corner: May

Over the past few years, we’ve been developing and expanding our reach into the world of making, by offering both programs and resources.

What exactly is making? Well, we actually helped craft a formal definition for it for library staff across the nation. But the short answer is pretty simple: it is the process of being willing to get your hands dirty and learn while you create whatever you want to make to accomplish a task or just have fun. Do you cook?  Do you craft? Do you invent? Do you build? Do you fix things? You are a maker! 

In fact, some are even talking about making as at the core of a new type of literacy: invention literacy  (i,e, the ability to look around you and figure out how human-made things work). Like any type of literacy, you can never be too old or too young to start your making journey and nurturing the growth mindset on which all making depends. You also can never have enough tools in the forms of books to get your creative juices flowing.

So, this year we plan to highlight all of the various making resources we have–which range from needlework to Legos to more. May is all about drawing, and a special thank you to Kelli for helping me research this post!

Continue reading “Maker Corner: May”