Chicks & Ducklings at the Library this Week!

Welcome Ducklings and Chicks to the Library!

This is a great chance to view chicks and ducklings side by side.

Who has a beak? Who has a bill?

Who has webbed feet and why?

We have a pair of Flying Mallards- male and female, 

two brown Khaki Campbell females, and two black Cayuga females.

 In the display next to the ducklings are Welsummer chicks 

that will be raised by a 4-H family.

Thank the Friends of the Library for sponsoring 

this fun spring time event at the library.

Butterfly Gardens

Say goodbye to one of the snowiest winters in Indiana history and get ready for spring at the Library.  On Tuesday, April 29, professional gardener Amy Mullen will talk about how to attract butterflies to your garden.  Register online, and then join us from 7 to 8 PM in the Lora Hussey Room for a delightful spring program.  (One lucky attendee will win a door prize.) 

The Library's shelves are blooming with books for gardeners of all ages and abilities.  We have a great selection of materials on topics including: organic gardening, companion plantings, lawns, perennials, herbs, vegetable gardening, shrubs and more.  Nature lovers, in particular, will enjoy April Pulley Sayre's Touch a Butterfly: Wildlife Gardening with Kids which has colorful, easy-to-follow sections on attracting butterflies, bees, dragonflies, songbirds, bats, and, yes--even toads--to your garden.

A Tisket, A Tasket, I Really Need A Basket!

Have you noticed the stacks of baskets located in various locations around the library?  These are for your convenience when you’ve got too many books, DVDs, music CDs, and magazines to carry home.  All we ask is that you check them out.

Here’s how you do it: You’ll notice a tag attached to the basket with Velcro. Remove the tag and scan the tag’s barcode at the self-check station just like you would for a book.  You can also go to one of our friendly Circulation staff  for assistance.

 

 

When you are finished with the basket, please return it to the Circulation desk and we’ll be happy to check it in for you.

Baskets check out for 3 weeks, just like most books, and can be renewed!

 

Now you can check out even more books, DVDs, music CDs, audio books and magazines!

Wrigley Field is 100

Whether you love or hate the Chicago Cubs, you recognize their iconic home, Wrigley Field, aka "The Friendly Confines."  The building with the red sign is celebrating its centennial this baseball season.  Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks is the official 100th birthday of the park.

Our generation has always know it as Wrigley Field, but it didn't receive that name until 1926.  Many of the features of the ballpark that are still there today were installed in 1937, such as the bleachers, the scoreboard and that ivy on the outfield wall.

One improvement you may remember is the installation of lights in 1988.  The owners and fans fought bringing the lights to the field, but finally gave in.  The Cubs became the last team in the Major Leagues to play night games at their home field.

A first did happen at Wrigley Field.  Harry Caray is credited with being the first person to sing "Take me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch.  The man with the shock of white hair, and big round glasses led everyone in the iconic tune for over twenty years.  To read about Harry's career, read "Where's Harry?" by his broadcast partner, Steve Stone.

Wrigley Field oozes history.  Who better to write about it than Jerome Holtzman?  He was named Major League Baseball's historian in 1999.  Starting in 1943, he wrote a sports column for Chicago papers.  Before his passing, he wrote the book "Baseball, Chicago Syle" which details the city's baseball tradition.  Chicago is the only city to have two baseball teams that have endured.  And that is not because they win pennants or World Series.  By reading this book, you may discover the mystique of these cross town rivals.

There is no greater baseball fan than George Will.  He has written his second book about baseball titled "A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred."  Even though the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908, Will is still an enthusiastic backer.  Take a leisurely stroll with George, and meet some of the quirky, memorable people associated with the team.  

Read about Cubs icons such as Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, and more in "Wrigley Field: The Centennial: 100 Years at the Friendly Confines" by Les Krantz.  This book is filled with photographs, and includes a DVD narrated by Lou Boudreau, Jr. featuring footage from the history of the stadium.  Do you want to see a clip of Babe Ruth's "called shot?"  It's in here, along with many of the historic baseball moments that have happened at the Friendly Confines.

We are fortunate because we're only a day trip away from this historic ball park.  If you go, the Cubs may not win, but you can soak up all the tradition that is a game at Wrigley Field.







 

Where did the fish go?

The fish tank is a landmark at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library and regular visitors want to know, “What happened to the big fish?”  Don’t worry; our big fish are happily retired!  They get to enjoy warm temperatures, early dinners, and great company at retirement homes around Zionsville. 

The baby fish that we have at the Library are going to grow over the next few months and we will get to see them transform into big colorful cichlids.  These new fish are happy in their new home, they love to greet visitors, and they even follow visitors when they move in front of the tank!  We are so fortunate to have these colorful babies; we are definitely looking forward to watching them grow!

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is known for his sweeping black and white images of the natural world.  It has been thirty years since his passing, but fortunately his images live on.

Adams' life is the epitome of a second chance.  He started playing the piano seriously at the age of twelve, and for many years, strove to be an accomplished pianist.  Thwarted by his small hands, he faced reality, and shifted his focus to photography.

Adams was a purist when it came to photography.  He did not believe in making alterations to his images with filters or color, but he did use color on occasion.   Although we often think of his larger-than-life landscapes, one of his best still-life photographs is “Rose on Driftwood”.

Have you been, or are you planning to visit the Ansel Adams Exhibit?  It is currently at the 

Eiteljorg Museum.  You have until August 3^rd to see 75 of his works on display.  In addition to the exhibit, the museum has several events scheduled that will be of interest to

photography enthusiasts.   

If you are interested in Adams, and want more resources, your library has the following:

 

He completed this book shortly before his death in 1984.  In “Ansel Adams: An Autobiography” you read his life story, interspersed with photographs on almost every page. He describes the struggle to include the newcomer of photography into the arts community.  You will also learn about his work with the Sierra Club.  Adams was one of our country's early conservationists, with a passion to preserve the beauty of the American West.

 

 “Looking at Ansel Adams” by Andrea Stillman is one of the latest books on the famous photographer.  The author knew Adams personally, and had worked with him on several projects.

She gives you the inside story of 20 of his most famous photographs.  You will gain insight into Adams' creative process.  The text adds the back story of each photograph, increasing the enjoyment of the images.

PBS has produced  "Ansel Adams: American Experience”. This documentary features images of Adams' work and his writing.  In an attempt to get at the heart of what inspired him, the film follows in Adams' footsteps as he traveled around the America West, and shows footage of the actual sites of many of his iconic images.  

Adams was a pioneer in his field, and he gave us his images so we could appreciate the majestic landscapes that he loved. Whether you visit the exhibit or not, these resources will enhance your discovery of Ansel Adams' legacy.
 

Kids, Join Lemonade Day!

And learn how to start, own and operate a successful lemonade stand!

By participating in Lemonade Day, a metro Indianapolis area program, you can become a budding entrepreneur and learn practical business experience, while having fun with your family and friends.

Interested families, with students in grades pre-K through 12, may register for the program at indianapolis.lemonadeday.org and then stop by the Library to pick up a free Lemonade Day tote bag! and meet our new Lemonade guy for a flyer.  Participants will work through web-based lessons to prepare to open their first lemonade stand. The site is full of business start-up information for both the young entrepreneur and sponsoring adult. 

All stands should be open on the official  Lemonade Day:  Saturday, May 17. More information and a the online registration form are available here.

We look forward to meeting all the new entrepreneurs when they pick up their free tote bag at the Library!

Five Fitness Goals - Your Library Can Help!

I recently read a blog by Amy Roberts.  She is a personal trainer and writes for "Women’s Health".  It reminded me of our discussion in January about making SMART fitness goals.  If you missed it, you can link to that blog here.

The premise of Amy’s blog is the importance of goal-setting.  The author suggests that we set five particular goals.  Once you’ve set your goals, your library has resources to help you achieve them.

Goal #1: Lower Your Body Fat Percentage

Often, when we say we want to lose weight, what we really want to do is lose body fat.  This will make our body look more compact, and rev up our metabolism.  Unfortunately, wishing doesn’t make it so.  We need to perform exercises that will help us to change our body composition. 

Many times, that is the frustration of walkers.  They will put in a lot of time “hoofing it”, but won’t see a change in their figure.  Adding weight training to your cardio routine will help you lower your body fat. 

If you are new to strength training, try Petra Kolber’s “Step-by-step Strength Training”. 

Petra is an experienced instructor who will lead you into a safe and effective workout.  You have the choice of four short sessions that will hold your interest.

Goal #2: Get Stronger

We have the freedom to set any goal we want.  Most women hate to do pushups because we are generally weak in our upper body.  If you had a plan to get better at pushups, you would be more likely improve, and maybe like them…or hate them less.  Remember: any goal that gets us stronger will also give us more lean muscle, and as we discussed in Goal #1, that’s a good thing!

One great workout to help us toward this goal is “Strong Body, Fit Body” by Erin O’Brien. 

You will perform exercises that work multiple body parts at once.  This will shorten your exercise time, the full-body workout is only 45 minutes.

Goal #3: Master a Skill

Choose a sport, skill or exercise that you’re interested in, and give it a try.  This is not only good for your body, learning a new skill is good for your brain.  There are many leagues and groups that do a wide variety of activities in our area.

One group fitness activity is Zumba.  This Latin-inspired dance craze can be found in many gyms, churches and rec centers.  If you don’t want to try it for the first time in front of a lot of hip-shaking enthusiasts, you can try it on DVD in the privacy of your own home. 

We have the entire 7-DVD set of Zumba Exhilarate.  Disc 1 is a guide through the steps.  Each additional DVD will lead you through the unique aspects of this fitness system.  By the time you’ve tried all seven, you’ll be ready to join a live class. 

Goal #4: Make Fitness a Part of Your Routine

What is the typical answer that we give people when they ask us how we are?  “Busy!”  Everyone seems to have the same problem.  If we don’t schedule fitness into our routine, it will easily go by the wayside. 

With over 300 fitness DVDs at your library, you can check out several (remember the limit on DVDs is ten at a time), and find the ones that you will enjoy.  We have several DVDs from the series “10 Minute Solution”. 

Each DVD has five 10 minute workouts, why not start with one and see what you think?  It may be just what you need if you’re in an exercise slump.

Goal #5: Train For an Event

This time of year there are charity 5k’s all over the place.  If you train ahead for an event, then you will be able to get to the end with a smile on your face, instead of hobbling in pain. 

The library has many cardiovascular workouts that will help you boost your speed and endurance.  We also have great books that will give you a plan for success.  “3 Months to Your First 5K” is just one.  

 

 Whatever your goals are, remember your library when you are looking for inspiration and motivation.