So today we had an author talk, co-sponsored with the Historical Society, by Chad Lewis, who co-authored the Minnesota Road Guide to Haunted Locations.
Our plan was to hold the talk at the Calumet Inn, which is featured in the book for being haunted. So we ordered cookies and coffee for 35-40 people, figuring that was a good number and would probably be more than we would actually have.
We were WRONG!! After re-setting chairs and moving tables to try and make room for all the people that were arriving, Mayor Ness finally suggested we move it to the Performing Art center, since the fire marshall would KILL us for cramming so many people in there. So at 2:01, we moved across the street and re-set-up, getting all of Chad's books set out in the lobby and getting him ready for his talk.
The talk was fantastic and I am so glad I went ahead and booked him, even though at the time we thought we would end up paying his entire honorarium ourselves. We ended up getting sponsored by Legacy Funds, since we were working with the Historical Society, and so we only ended up spending a little money for cookies.
And there were, at final count, 95 people in attendance. 95!! It was a great day for an author talk and I had no idea so many people in Pipestone were interested in ghosts!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Banned Books Week 09-30-09
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The above is the text of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, allowing for freedom of the press. Freedom of the press not only includes things that are printed in newspapers, but also books which, as I’m sure you’re all aware, are apt to occasionally contain objectionable material.
This week, September 28th until October 3rd, is National Banned Books Week. In honor of those books that have had their struggles, Meinders has lists available for the public of the top 100 most challenged books from 1900 until the present. You would be surprised what books are on there and, even more surprising, most of them you would consider a classic. In fact, most of them you probably read in high school or your student is reading now. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been challenged, as have Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. The list is extensive enough that I won’t go into more specifics, but we will have many of the books on display at the library.
Censor: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable.
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime…” Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
Ban: to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of materials.
As you can see from the definitions, censorship is deletion of parts of certain parts of a book, while banning gets rid of the book entirely. It’s really up in the air which is worse, considering if you use a censorship sort of approach, you still have the book, though the content is changed, sometimes dramatically. Banning would remove the book entirely from the collection, though it wouldn’t delete pieces of the work itself. Interestingly enough, the first definition of the word ‘ban’ in the dictionary is ‘curse,’ which is fitting.
Let me give you an example of how I think. I, personally, cannot stand Howard Stern. I will change the station if I hear him on the radio. But that doesn’t mean he should get booted from the air. Some people (I know several) enjoy listening to him and it is not fair of me to tell them not to, simply because I don’t like the material. The same goes for books. There are some books that I would never read, because they offend me. But far be it from me to prevent others from reading them. I make sure to order at least one book a month that I don’t agree with, just to make sure I’m not censoring the library with my own bias.
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.” – Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas
We celebrate America because of the freedom it gives us: the freedom to state our opinions and the freedom to write them down and distribute them. That doesn’t mean we all have to agree, that simply means we have the given right to put our words out in public without getting arrested. Stop in and check out a challenged book today!
If you have any questions, or have a book to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 507-825-6714. The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
The above is the text of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, allowing for freedom of the press. Freedom of the press not only includes things that are printed in newspapers, but also books which, as I’m sure you’re all aware, are apt to occasionally contain objectionable material.
This week, September 28th until October 3rd, is National Banned Books Week. In honor of those books that have had their struggles, Meinders has lists available for the public of the top 100 most challenged books from 1900 until the present. You would be surprised what books are on there and, even more surprising, most of them you would consider a classic. In fact, most of them you probably read in high school or your student is reading now. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been challenged, as have Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. The list is extensive enough that I won’t go into more specifics, but we will have many of the books on display at the library.
Censor: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable.
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime…” Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
Ban: to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of materials.
As you can see from the definitions, censorship is deletion of parts of certain parts of a book, while banning gets rid of the book entirely. It’s really up in the air which is worse, considering if you use a censorship sort of approach, you still have the book, though the content is changed, sometimes dramatically. Banning would remove the book entirely from the collection, though it wouldn’t delete pieces of the work itself. Interestingly enough, the first definition of the word ‘ban’ in the dictionary is ‘curse,’ which is fitting.
Let me give you an example of how I think. I, personally, cannot stand Howard Stern. I will change the station if I hear him on the radio. But that doesn’t mean he should get booted from the air. Some people (I know several) enjoy listening to him and it is not fair of me to tell them not to, simply because I don’t like the material. The same goes for books. There are some books that I would never read, because they offend me. But far be it from me to prevent others from reading them. I make sure to order at least one book a month that I don’t agree with, just to make sure I’m not censoring the library with my own bias.
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.” – Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas
We celebrate America because of the freedom it gives us: the freedom to state our opinions and the freedom to write them down and distribute them. That doesn’t mean we all have to agree, that simply means we have the given right to put our words out in public without getting arrested. Stop in and check out a challenged book today!
If you have any questions, or have a book to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 507-825-6714. The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Preservation is Key 09-14-09
It’s that time of year, when a Midwestern farmwife’s fancy turns to thoughts of…canning. Okay, so you don’t have to be a farmwife to can, since I know plenty of people who do not live on farms who participate – including myself. And it’s definitely that time of year.
The tomatoes might not have been very good, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other things to toss into jars to save for posterity, or next year, whichever comes first. Peaches, cherries, beets, carrots, peas, beans – I could keep going. The point is, the library has some great resources for home preservers, whether you’re a beginner or an expert.
Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Other Cooking Projects by Karen Solomon has some GREAT ideas for things to do with your produce or projects just to do in your spare time (face it, we’ll have some once it snows). The projects and recipes in her book are marvelously intriguing and the book is designed to help you make the basic things you need in your kitchen at home, such as mustard, crackers, cheese, etc. In her acknowledgements, she states quite clearly that it shouldn’t be hard to find home-made kitchen staples, such as shortening, and the book is designed to remedy that. She also includes recipes for bacon, pasta dough, marshmallows, and several kinds of popsicles and drinks.
The Complete Book of Preserving by Marye Cameron-Smith is an older book (1976) but contains some great resources for preserving foods, including a detailed chart for freezing foods in a home deep freezer. There are instructions for preserving meat, drying herbs, smoking fish, and an array of recipes for chutneys, jams, and candied fruits and flowers. It’s an excellent book!
How to Dry Foods by Deanna DeLong centers completely around drying food, as the title states. She includes instructions for sun drying, room drying, stove-top and convection oven drying, so it’s not necessary to purchase any special equipment. There are very detailed instructions in this book for drying different fruits, herbs, and vegetables, as well as a section on meats and jerkies. There are also some great recipes, to help you USE your dried food.
Perfect Preserves: Provisions from the Kitchen Garden by Nora Carey is a book that is strictly devoted to the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers one can grow in your own backyard. There is also a section on different kinds of preserving, including bottling, sweetening, pickling, and freezing. Some of the fruits and vegetables might not grow well in Minnesota, but if you feel experimental, that’s what the grocery store is for! Personally, the part about fruit-scented sugars was absolutely fascinating. I had no idea you could make those. And, of course, in the back there are recipes for pastry dough and sponge cake, because how do you have strawberry shortcake without the cake?
We’ve got plenty of other books on kitchen projects, from canning and preserving to cooking French and Asian cuisine! If you feel like trying a new recipe for cucumbers or learning how to make Pei King Duck, now is your opportunity! Stop in and check a cookbook out today!
If you have any questions, or have a book to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 507-825-6714. Summer hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
The tomatoes might not have been very good, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other things to toss into jars to save for posterity, or next year, whichever comes first. Peaches, cherries, beets, carrots, peas, beans – I could keep going. The point is, the library has some great resources for home preservers, whether you’re a beginner or an expert.
Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Other Cooking Projects by Karen Solomon has some GREAT ideas for things to do with your produce or projects just to do in your spare time (face it, we’ll have some once it snows). The projects and recipes in her book are marvelously intriguing and the book is designed to help you make the basic things you need in your kitchen at home, such as mustard, crackers, cheese, etc. In her acknowledgements, she states quite clearly that it shouldn’t be hard to find home-made kitchen staples, such as shortening, and the book is designed to remedy that. She also includes recipes for bacon, pasta dough, marshmallows, and several kinds of popsicles and drinks.
The Complete Book of Preserving by Marye Cameron-Smith is an older book (1976) but contains some great resources for preserving foods, including a detailed chart for freezing foods in a home deep freezer. There are instructions for preserving meat, drying herbs, smoking fish, and an array of recipes for chutneys, jams, and candied fruits and flowers. It’s an excellent book!
How to Dry Foods by Deanna DeLong centers completely around drying food, as the title states. She includes instructions for sun drying, room drying, stove-top and convection oven drying, so it’s not necessary to purchase any special equipment. There are very detailed instructions in this book for drying different fruits, herbs, and vegetables, as well as a section on meats and jerkies. There are also some great recipes, to help you USE your dried food.
Perfect Preserves: Provisions from the Kitchen Garden by Nora Carey is a book that is strictly devoted to the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers one can grow in your own backyard. There is also a section on different kinds of preserving, including bottling, sweetening, pickling, and freezing. Some of the fruits and vegetables might not grow well in Minnesota, but if you feel experimental, that’s what the grocery store is for! Personally, the part about fruit-scented sugars was absolutely fascinating. I had no idea you could make those. And, of course, in the back there are recipes for pastry dough and sponge cake, because how do you have strawberry shortcake without the cake?
We’ve got plenty of other books on kitchen projects, from canning and preserving to cooking French and Asian cuisine! If you feel like trying a new recipe for cucumbers or learning how to make Pei King Duck, now is your opportunity! Stop in and check a cookbook out today!
If you have any questions, or have a book to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 507-825-6714. Summer hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
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