Downton Abbey

Will Lady Mary and Matthew finally wed?  What new schemes will Thomas and O'Brien hatch?  When, if ever, will the long-suffering Bates be exonerated for the murder of his wife and released from prison?  And what about all the other goings on at Downton Abbey (the beautifully fictionalized Highclere Castle)?  PBS Masterpiece executive producer, Rebecca Eaton recently previewed the upcoming season for Florida public television station WUCF-TV.  Eaton's sneak peek, reported in the Orlando Sentinel, reveals that, in addition to a birth and death, viewers can look forward to the arrival of Lady Cora's mother, played by the Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine.

Answers won't be forthcoming for U.S. television viewers until January 2013 when Season 3 airs.  In the meantime, the Library has (or has ordered) several choice books for Abbey fans.  The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes, niece of series' writer and creator, Julian Fellowes, is a lavishly-illustrated account of the story, characters and social history of the period.  For a first-hand account of a life in service, try Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir that Inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey by Margaret Powell.  (Powell became a kitchen maid in Hove, England, at the age of fifteen.)  Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by the current Countess of Carnarvon tells the story of the remarkable woman who inspired the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley.

For newcomers to the series (or those who want a refresher before the next installment), the Library has both previous seasons of this Emmy-winning drama.

Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced

The 2012 Pulitzer Prize Winners and Finalists were announced yesterday.

Winners of this year’s awards in the areas of History, Biography, Poetry, and General Nonfiction are:

History:  Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by the late Manning Marable
Biography:  George F. Kennan: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis
Poetry: Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
General Nonfiction: The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt.

No award was made in 2012 in the category of Fiction.  (Since 1917, the first year in which Pulitzer Prizes were awarded, there have been ten years in which no Fiction or Novel award was made.)   For a complete list of all winners and finalists by category visit The Pulitzer Prizes.  Or for a list of Fiction winners, stop by the Library’s featured display and pick up a handout.

Interested readers might also enjoy Pulitzer:  A Life in Politics, Print, and Power by James McGrath Morris, a fascinating account of Joseph Pulitzer's trajectory from Jewish Hungarian immigrant to modern media mogul.

Titanic Centennial

It has been 100 years since the “the ship that God himself couldn’t sink” was lost on its maiden voyage yet people still seem drawn to it like few other disasters. To honor the centennial, much has recently been published and several interesting new titles are now available for check out.

One of the earliest books written about the Titanic’s sinking, was the meticulously researched “A Night to Remember” by Walter Lord published in 1953. It is a minute-by-minute accounting of the last hours of the great ship and its passengers and crew. It became an instant bestseller and was followed by a movie of the same title. The 2012 re-release is on order and includes audio commentary by Titanic historians, a 60 minute documentary and an archival interview with survivor Eva Hart.

During the 1970’s, Robert Ballard was determined to find the wreck of the ship. Diving equipment and sonar imaging had to be developed to find it 2-1/2 miles below the surface. Although it was assumed the location was known, it took another decade and numerous failed expeditions before the ship’s remains were found in September, 1985. Ballard published the exciting and frustrating search, as well as the ensuing problems of finding it in international waters, in “Titanic: The Tragedy That Shook the World One Century Later”. More recently he published updates to the story in “Return to Titanic: A New Look at the World’s Most Famous Lost Ship”.

Other interesting titles added to the collection include “The Rough Guide to The Titanic: The Legend, The Controversies, The Awful Truth” and “Lost Voices from the Titanic”. Look for these and other titles on the nonfiction display as well as novels written about the ship and its passengers on display at the Reader’s Advisory desk.

National Library Week

It's National Library Week! And YOU belong at your library. In honor of National Library Week, ALA (the American Library Association) has put together ideas, stories, and information about libraries.

Connect with Your Kids @ Your Library has reading suggestions, stories from other families who are inspired at their libraries, and cooking and financial planning ideas for use with your young ones. You'll find a whole range of useful links on the left-hand side of the page.

If your young ones are in an artistic mood, visit Crayola's National Library Week activities page for fun coloring pages and activities.


You can also share YOUR library stories here. We'd love to see what you have to say! Remember, YOU belong at your library.

Voter Registration

Monday, April 9, 2012, is the last day to register to vote in Indiana's Primary Election to be held on May 8, 2012.

You have the right to vote in Indiana if: you are both a U.S. citizen and a resident of Indiana; and, you will be at least 18 years of age on or before the next General or Municipal election; and, you are not currently in prison after being convicted of a crime; and, you have lived in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election; and, you are registered to vote.

Eligible Indiana residents with a valid Indiana driver's license or Indiana state-issued identification card can register to vote online through Indiana's Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS).  Registered voters can also update their voter registration records, find their polling places, and determine "Who's on My Ballot?" for the coming election at SVRS.

Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked on or before the registration deadline.

For more information on voter registration, visit the Indiana Election Division.

The Poetry of Spring

April is National Poetry Month, and the Library has many books of poetry -classic and contemporary- for you to check out. Stop by anytime and make yourself comfortable at one of our tables and chairs and write a sonnet or two of your own. Be sure to join us for a poetry reading by The Village Poets on Tuesday, April 10th at 7pm in the Lora Hussey Room.

The month of April also brings rain showers that awaken flowers, greenery and green thumbs alike. Don't miss two upcoming programs guaranteed to inspire you to start digging in the dirt:

Spring Into Your Garden on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30pm. Gardening presenter Kristel Tippins returns to the Library to teach you to create a raised garden bed, along with sharing tips about about nutrient levels, drainage, garden design, vegetable spacing and other topics. You'll start a seed pot to take home and taste a homemade sweet and spicy butternut squash bisque. Seating is limited and registration is required, so reserve your seat today.

Fabulous Foliage on Tuesday, April 24 at 7pm. Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, of Hoosier Gardener fame, will take you on a visual stroll through a collection of some of the best annuals, tropicals, bulbs, perennials, shrubs and trees that make a statement by their leaves. This program is generously sponsored by The Village Garden Club of Zionsville and the Friends of the Library.

Happy Spring and we'll see you at the Library!

Titanic Centennial & Kids

One hundred years ago this month, on the night between April 14th and 15th, the great Titanic, the unsinkable ship, sank. "Titanic A Magnet for Kids, a Fine Line for Educators," an article from WTHR, points out the appeal and tension inherent in the tragedy as both young and old alike are drawn to this monumental and mournful tragedy. A tragedy in which most of the survivors were children!

The first title mentioned in the article, Titanic Sinks! (full of primary sources) is at least currently available in our Titanic display. You'll also find other great reads appropriate for children in our display, including Gordon Korman's Titanic series (Unsinkable, Collision Course, & S.O.S.) & Mary Pope Osbourne's Magic Tree House fiction and non-fiction Titanic titles.

Innocent youth and harsh reality, fact and fiction, the sinking of the Titanic offers much to discuss and learn from!

(Adults, in preparation for dinner table conversation with your children, keep an eye out in the coming days for some great TV series on the Titanic; Julian Fellowes of Downton Abby has his own version ...)