By Heather Pisani-Kristl, Librarian
Lifelong learning at the library
Join the La Mesa Library Book Club on Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for a discussion of “The Dressmaker” by Kate Alcott. Novice seamstress Tess Collins accompanies her flamboyant employer Lucile Duff Gordon on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, where she sees the worst aspects of her traveling companion. The senatorial investigation following the Titanic disaster threatens to expose the Gordon family’s corruption, and it also endangers Tess’s escape from poverty. Should Tess stand on the side of justice, or think of herself? Fans of immigrant stories and historical romance will enjoy discussing this title; copies of the book can be borrowed at the library’s front desk.
La Mesa Library staff are fired up about STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math for young people. La Mesa, Poway and San Marcos libraries received a combined $6,500 grant from the California State Library to fund STEAM-related storytimes and afterschool programs for children in preschool through seventh grade at these three locations. Families participating in these grant-funded events will also be able to borrow kits containing child-safe equipment to experiment with STEAM ideas at home. Stay tuned for the winter announcement of our hands-on STEAM programs!
On re-reading Bill Bryson
We all have books that we re-read to experience the author’s cozy world. I recently asked my librarian colleagues for their favorite re-reads and received a variety of childrens and adult titles. J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series made three appearances on the list, and “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery appeared twice. Runners-up included mysteries by Agatha Christie, “Tales of the City” by Armistead Maupin, and Anthony Trollope’s “Barchester” books.
But the top author on my personal list is nonfiction author Bill Bryson, whose travelogue “Notes from a Small Island” has occupied my bookshelf and my sense of humor for years. Bryson’s memoir of the Appalachian Trail, “A Walk in the Woods,” was recently interpreted by Robert Redford and Nick Nolte for the big screen, so it seemed like the right time for me to revisit Bryson’s first major hike.
Bryson circumambulated England, Scotland and Wales – with liberal assistance from British Rail and Guinness – before leaving his adopted Yorkshire in the early 1990s. He begins by bristling at the rules of a Kentish boardinghouse (three-minute showers and no shoes on the bedspread), but happily finds that there is no shortage of innkeepers willing to lock him out of his hotel at 9 p.m., listen meekly to his verbal tirades after he rouses them from bed, and cheerfully serve him a hearty English breakfast in the morning. Bryson’s affection for his daffy but unflappable neighbors is evident throughout the memoir, and British readers reciprocated by naming “Notes” their nation’s favorite book about the postwar years. If you enjoyed this journey the first time around, keep a lookout for Bryson’s second travelogue about Great Britain, “The Road to Little Dribbling,” which will be published in January 2016. As Bryson wrote in “Notes”: “What other country, after all, could possibly have come up with place names like Tooting Bec and Farleigh Wallop, or a game like cricket that goes on for three days and never seems to start? Who else would think it not the least odd to make their judges wear little mops on their heads [and] compel the Speaker of the House of Commons to sit on something called the Woolsack?” What other country, indeed.
Notes from our friends
The community group La Mesa Conversations will put the public library in the spotlight with a panel discussion asking the question, “Is the town library a valuable community partner?” The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 4731 Date St. in La Mesa. Speakers include San Diego County Library Director José Aponte, Chula Vista Public Library Director Betty Waznis, and other local library and literacy professionals. The Friends of La Mesa Library encourage you to attend and ask your questions about the role of the public library in today’s society.
Have you considered a new volunteering opportunity? Book lovers are needed in the Friends of La Mesa Library Bookstore. Duties include selling gently-used books to benefit the Library’s collection and events; sharing recommendations with enthusiastic customers; and keeping the bookstore tidy. Typically, volunteers give one three-hour shift per week; an application and background check are required. If you’re interested, call the library at 619-469-2151 so that the bookstore manager can get in touch with you.
