Books and Boys

I recently saw a young boy sitting in the corner of the library intently studying the contents of a book. It was a snapshot in time that will stay with me forever. The little fellow was sitting calmly, intently absorbing what he saw on the pages. His interest wasn’t fleeting…he spent a long time perusing the pages, fascinated by what he saw.

Sno-Isle’s bookshelves are filled with materials. Preschool boys may like "Library Mouse" by Daniel Kirk, "Freight Train" by Donald Crews, or "Where’s Walrus?" by Stephen Savage. School age children may get laughs from Farley Mowat’s books, “The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be” and “Owls in the Family”. Our libraries have board books for babies, easy books, and readers. We have easy non-fiction books and educational DVDs to help children learn about the world around them. Music CDs, audiobooks and DVDs are available for your child’s entertainment.

If you happen to be a grandparent who is still scared of computers, accompany your preschool grandchild to the library and observe the child using the preschool computer. A child approaches the computer with confidence believing it to be just another task to learn and master. While making the decision to give computers a try, grandparents should remember “if your preschool grandchild didn’t break it, you won’t either”. Our libraries even offer computer classes for beginners and advanced in a non-stressful environment with much encouragement and no tests!

So bring your babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, school aged children, teens, friends, husband, wife, mother, father, grandma, or grandpa and come to the library to experience our programs and find library materials. Sno-Isle libraries provide a rich experience for everyone. We look forward to seeing you soon!

A Nod to Skype from a Technophobe

I have had my eyes on those Nook e-readers since they hit the market. The ability to “haul” around multiple books in one handy little gadget is very enticing. However, on principle, I decided to do without this wonderful device. (I also still pay my bills through the post office). Besides the enjoyment I get from holding an actual book, technological advances, such as the B&N Nook, have me a little concerned. It’s not that I’m worried about technology replacing libraries altogether (although I have heard that concern from customers); but the scariest thing about our rapid advancement in this tech era (for me, anyway) is that we are forgetting why we want technology in the first place. Some of my friends on Facebook have thousands of “friends”, but do any of them come over to cheer you up with a homemade dinner, or remember your birthday without the friendly Facebook reminder? Maybe they do, but my point here is that we have to remember what a “friend” really is. Technology is an aid to help us conveniently stay in touch with our loved ones, but it is in no way a replacement for actual face-to-face time. (My mom is constantly reminding me of this). Okay, now that I have explained some of the roots of my technophobia, let me proceed with an unexpected nod to Skype.
We have a family that frequents our library. They have, I believe, ten children, ages 5-25. One of their older boys is away in California, and the other day was his birthday. The father had come up to the desk and asked us for help installing Skype on his lap top. Our PSA II and I quickly showed him how to sign up and he walked away in awe at how simple it was. Shortly after, I heard “Happy Birthday” being sung in unison from our meeting room. I looked over to see the mom and dad and four of the siblings gathered around the lap top, singing! With closer inspection, I was able to see their son’s smiling face on the screen and even wish him a “happy birthday” myself. I was so thrilled to see this family “gathering” and had to nod in approval at this clever application of technology. The library remains a center for people, ideas, and culture; a place where families can congregate, even if it means using our high-speed Wifi to do so. His mom’s only complaint was that she wasn’t able to hug him through the computer.