The Zionsville Author Fair

Come one, come all to Zionsville's first-ever Author Fair! On Sat., April 11 from 2-4:30 PM, over 20 authors from the Indianapolis area will be on hand to sell, autograph, and talk about their books. There is something for everyone. If you like to laugh, Dick Wolfsie will be on hand with his latest volume of his humor columns. If you're into mysteries, Louis Janeira will talk about his medical murder mysteries set right here in Zionsville. There will also be romance, children's, and local history writers. The event will kickoff with a panel discussion of Zionsville authors that takes place at 2pm. For the rest of the afternoon you are free to peruse the books for sale and talk with some of Indiana's finest writing talent. Please register so we have enough refreshments for everyone.
See you at the Library!

Batter up!

Major League Baseball's opening day is coming soon.  This is a perfect time to read up on the All-American sport.  We have many choices for you, a few of our newer selections are highlighted below.

In a tip-of-the-hat to the "Cheers" theme song, the book "Where Nobody Knows Your Name", is about the International League of minor league baseball.  This book has local interest, as our Indianapolis Indians are in this league, and our team is referenced throughout.  Veteran sports writer John Feinstein followed several minor league players as they made their way during the 2012 season.    Feinstein clearly points out that the minors are a long way from the major leagues, and most do not make it to the "bigs".

One player that did make it to the big leagues is Derek Jeter.  The Book "Jeter: Unfiltered" is a collection of photographs taken during his final season in baseball.  You will get behind-the-scenes access into the off-field world of professional sports. Jeter was a fourteen-time all-star and five-time World Series winner.  I am sure that he would agree that he owes the pioneers of baseball integration a big debt of gratitude.

This next book, "1954" is about some of those pioneers.  The same year that the U.S. Supreme court ruled in "Brown vs the Board of Education," baseball was experiencing changes that would make the sport what it is today.  This was the first time that the two teams in the World Series featured players of color.  Dive into interviews with the men who were there, especially Larry Doby of the Indians and Willie Mays of the Giants.  In this book the author Bill Madden gives Major League Baseball credit for being ahead of the country when it came to racial tolerance.

There's nothing like the crack of the bat on a warm spring day, or singing "Take me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch.  Get ready to enjoy our national pastime by immersing yourself in a book from your library.

Spring Cleaning? Give Us Your Books and Stuff!

The birds are out and the temps are up! Spring is calling us to reorganize our closets, our drawers, and our bookshelves! But what to do with the items you no longer want or need?

If your Spring cleaning leaves you piles of new or gently used books* or other items (toys or such) that could be used as incentives for our Youth Department's Summer Reading Program, please consider donating them to the Library.

Last Summer, we gave away approximately 3,000 books to children in the Zionsville community. We also offer small incentive items such as toys for those who do not choose a book as a prize. Any donations we receive offset our costs for the program. Cash donations are also welcome!
 
*Only books that are in good condition, with no writing or torn pages, are used for Summer Reading prizes. Books that are not used for SRP will be donated to the Friends of the Library book sale.

JOIN LEMONADE DAY 2015!

Starting today, you can pick up your Lemonade Day gear at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library.  This includes the bright yellow bag and money apron seen below.

What is Lemonade day?  Lemonade Day is an event that teaches young people (grades pre-k to age 12) in Central Indiana how to start, own, and operate their own businesses by selling Lemonade in their communities.  This year’s event is scheduled for May 16.  All you need to do is register to get started.  Registration is open online at indianapolis.lemonadeday.org.  Once registered, you will have access to Lemonopolis, the online training program for Lemonade Day.  Kids who complete the Lemonopolis game can print their completion certificate and bring it into the Library to receive a Lemonade Day apron that can be used for the business.  Just bring the completion certificate to the Circulation Desk to receive the apron and a bright yellow Lemonade Day bag.  Then you will be set to prepare your business for the big day on May 16!

The supply of bags and aprons is limited, so hurry into the Library before they’re gone!

While you are at the Library, go ahead and check out some of our great books on lemonade stands to get yourself ready for the big day.  See some of them HERE.

 

Yum, Mini Pies!

It is not everyday the library smells like a bakery, but every once in a while our teen librarian says she needs pie.  Trust me, it sounds silly, but when pi starts out as 3.1415, you can imagine our teen librarian says we need to celebrate on March 14, 2015.  Unfortunately, she had the day off and the concept of baking pies could not be pushed from her mind, leaving the new day of delicious to occur over Spring Break on Tuesday, March 31 from 12:00 -1:30 PM, registration required. 

Have Lunch with a Local Author!

    Have lunch with Pendleton author Donna Cronk. On Wednesday, Mar. 25 at 2PM, Donna will talk about her Christian novel Sweetland of Liberty Bed & Breakfast. In Cronk’s inspirational opus, a woman moves back to her hometown of Freedom, Indiana, to pursue her dream of opening a bed-and-breakfast. Samantha makes this decision after both the recent loss of her husband and her job, and relies on her faith in God to help keep the business alive. Come hear Donna talk about her work, which Kirkus Review lauded as a "terrific debut." She will also have meals prepared from recipes in the book, and copies will be for sale and signing. Patrons are free to "like" Donna's Facebook page at: Sweetland of Liberty Bed & Breakfast by Donna Cronk.

Adults only, registration required.

Happy Pi Day! 3/14/15

Saturday is Pi Day! 

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399
3751058209749445923078164062.... 
If you'd like to keep going, visit the site One Million Digits of Pi.

If you really want to celebrate, raise your glasses at precisely 9:26. Or even better, make and eat a pie at that time. And perhaps calculate pi from said pie's circumference and diameter.  In fact, if you want to see real pie's used to calculate pi, see this cool YouTube video. 

For fun pi books, check these out at your library:

Sir cumference and the dragon of pi: a math adventure by Cindy Neuschwander

The joy of [pi] by David Blatner

Enjoy!

 

Ask Yourself This:

"Does it spark joy?" That’s the essential question Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, asks of all material possessions. For Kondo, reducing clutter means more than just throwing things out. Tidiness is as much a state of mind, as it is the condition of a closet. Objects have value. Even discarded ones should be thanked for their service. To learn more about the Konmari method, watch her on "Talks at Google."

Kondo’s self-help book is a global best seller. The Wall Street Journal attributes some of this success to shifting attitudes, declaring, "Ms. Kondo's book has captured the imaginations of readers around the world at a moment when many people seem to have reached a tipping point of clutter in their lives. It coincides with the recovering economy, an increase in donations of clothing and household goods to charity and a move toward downsizing as the U.S. population growth shifts from the suburbs to city centers in many areas."

Since lots of us yearn for order and harmony in our lives, you may need to place a hold on Kondo’s book. (Be sure to check the "It's Your Lucky Day!" bookshelf, whenever you're at the Library.)  In the meantime, you can search the Library's catalog for other great clutter-busting books.  Or read Penelope Green's humorous struggle with purple tights and turtlenecks, "Kissing Your Socks Goodbye," in The New York Times.

Remembering the Past

People who plan or lead activities for seniors will be pleased to learn about an exciting, new resource at the Library—BiFolkal DVD sets. These multimedia kits are designed to spark memories and encourage conversation among older adults. In addition to a scripted slide show, capturing a specific time and place in history, each kit contains related stories, poems, and discussion questions. Most include an audio CD and a songbook with music and lyrics. Six sets, representing a variety of interests, are currently available:

• Stars on the Home Front
•  The Fifties Family Style
•  Morning Chores
•  In Agony and Ecstasy: Reflections on Fashion
• Food
•  You Oughta Have an Auto

Look for them on the second floor of the Library near the World Languages, or search the catalog for call number KIT 362.6.