Everything seems to be green. Green this and green that. I remember that first "Earth Day" thirty years ago. I remember it well, because I lost my father on that same day.
As a twelve-year-old, the concept of taking care of Mother Earth was one that I was vaguely aware of in the back of my mind. I do remember seeing commercials on televisions with an old Indian chief looking around at garbage with a tear in his eye. I remember Hooty Owl -- "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute". I remember an anti-littering campaign, "Don't be a Litter Bug". At that young age, I remember being a bit ticked if I saw someone throw a bag of trash out the window of their car. I remember carrying litter bags in our car, the kind that hung from the radio knob.
Now, as a librarian, I must confess that I am not totally convinced that the globe is "warming". I believe that temperature change on the planet is cyclical. But you make up your own mind. The library is a great place to research this topic and others.
Anyway, back to "going green". I may not believe in the concept of global warming, but I do believe in keeping our rivers, oceans and air clean. I believe in recycling and conservation.
I must digress and share one quick story. I use to live in California. The State issued a water conservation order. One way to conserve, was to put a brick in the toilet. I was so confused and had a major "blonde moment". Ewwwww... wouldn't the brick get poop and stuff all over it??? Never realizing, until my "aha" moment, that the brick went in the tank to displace water, not the bowl.
Okay, back to "going green". The public library is the ultimate recycler. Our books are borrowed over and over again. A title by popular author Nora Roberts has circulated over 100 times. Many popular titles "circ" more then that in their lifetime. If each of these readers had purchased the books, I wonder how many trees would have been used for the publication.
Over 150,000 books were borrowed from the Paulding County Carnegie Library system in 2009. Over 38,000 movies were borrowed and almost 5,000 CDs were loaned. A total of over 205,000 items of all types were borrowed. Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a lot of recycling to me.
So, be part of "going green" and "go green" at the library! Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Springtime at the Library & Wagon Wheels
It is April and the sounds of spring are in the air. My friendly robin has greeted me with song in the morning... noon... afternoon... etc. Must have a lot to sing about. Currently, I hear the humming of lawn mowers working on the library yard. It is the first cutting of the year and I'm looking forward to stepping out to catch a whiff of freshly cut grass.
As the weather warms, the library receives more visitors. Today we greeted a 95 year-old woman who was born and raised in Paulding County. She shared stories of growing up, including visiting the library. Her recollection was priceless. Turns out that an aunt of her gave her a "Brownie" camera when she was younger. She and a friend took countless photos of everyone and everything. The photos have survived in excellent condition. Her daughter and I discussed the possibility of an online exhibit of Paulding County Memories Through the Lens of a "Brownie".
Another story was of her grandfather, last name Reighter, who lived in Briceton and was a wheelwright by trade. He was located next to the blacksmith. He would form the hub, spokes and wheel and then roll the wheel to the blacksmith, who would heat the steel ring that went around the wheel, to a red-hot state. After fitting it around the wheel, he would then quickly plunge it into cold water. The steel would cool and shrink, fitting tightly and seamlessly on the wheel.
This brief springtime visit was enough to paint a picture of bygone days in our county. It is raining now, one of those gentle April showers that will surely intensify the colors of the season. The library continues to be a place to visit, reflect, relax and remember. We hope you will visit your local public library this spring and explore the treasures you'll find within her walls.
Happy Reading!
As the weather warms, the library receives more visitors. Today we greeted a 95 year-old woman who was born and raised in Paulding County. She shared stories of growing up, including visiting the library. Her recollection was priceless. Turns out that an aunt of her gave her a "Brownie" camera when she was younger. She and a friend took countless photos of everyone and everything. The photos have survived in excellent condition. Her daughter and I discussed the possibility of an online exhibit of Paulding County Memories Through the Lens of a "Brownie".
Another story was of her grandfather, last name Reighter, who lived in Briceton and was a wheelwright by trade. He was located next to the blacksmith. He would form the hub, spokes and wheel and then roll the wheel to the blacksmith, who would heat the steel ring that went around the wheel, to a red-hot state. After fitting it around the wheel, he would then quickly plunge it into cold water. The steel would cool and shrink, fitting tightly and seamlessly on the wheel.
This brief springtime visit was enough to paint a picture of bygone days in our county. It is raining now, one of those gentle April showers that will surely intensify the colors of the season. The library continues to be a place to visit, reflect, relax and remember. We hope you will visit your local public library this spring and explore the treasures you'll find within her walls.
Happy Reading!
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