Books – The Future is Open

April 3, 2023

Why Public Libraries are Essential for Community Learning and Development

Public libraries significantly promote literacy and provide access to books and other resources that help individuals learn and grow. For mothers of small children, especially those who are learning how to read, public libraries are a valuable resource that can significantly benefit both mothers and their children. This blog will discuss how public libraries are a boon to mothers of small children learning to read.

Firstly, public libraries provide a wide range of resources that support literacy development. Mothers of small children can borrow books, audiobooks, and other materials from the library’s collection, which can help children develop their reading skills. Public libraries often have a wide range of books for children of different ages and reading levels, making it easy for mothers to find age-appropriate materials for their children. Additionally, libraries offer storytimes and other reading programs that promote literacy and help children develop a love for reading. These programs can also provide mothers with guidance and support on reading with their children, encouraging them to ask questions and engage with the story.

Secondly, public libraries provide a safe and welcoming space for mothers and their children. Libraries are quiet and calming, providing a peaceful environment conducive to reading and learning. Mothers can bring their children to the library without worrying about distractions or interruptions, allowing them to focus on reading and learning. Additionally, libraries have knowledgeable professionals who can assist mothers in finding the resources they need and provide guidance on literacy development.

Thirdly, public libraries are free and accessible to everyone, regardless of background or financial situation. Libraries ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to develop their literacy skills, regardless of socioeconomic status. Mothers who may not have the financial resources to purchase books or access other literacy resources can still allow their children to develop their reading skills through the library’s resources.

In conclusion, public libraries are a valuable resource for mothers of small children learning to read. They provide a wide range of resources, a safe and welcoming environment, and are free and accessible. By providing mothers with the tools and resources they need to promote literacy development in their children, public libraries play an essential role in helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Therefore, it is vital to continue supporting public libraries to ensure they can continue serving as a boon to mothers of small children learning how to read.

October 21, 2021

Meaning

“How do you tell your all-white mother that your all-white “friends” just dragged you into their big all-white house in all-white Southampton, past an untouchable all-white room, just to corner you and call you the dirtiest thing in their all-white world? Nigger.”

— The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
https://a.co/4I4AaQ6

I’ve long been a fan of Mariah Carey. I remember I was driving home from graduate school when I first heard “Vision of Love” on one of the local radio stations. There was a unique quality to her voice and reading this book about her life has that same spark. She is a great communicator. The book provides evidence of the ever present racism that pervades our culture even today. The debate in our nation rages over how to honor our past without glorifying the scourge of racism and misogyny.

Recently there has been discussion of removing the statue of Thomas Jefferson from the legislative chamber of New York City. Does the removal of the statue solve the problem. How about saving the statue but sharing the history of Jefferson and others who raped their slave mistresses and fathered children whom they also enslaved?

Our one dollar, two dollar and twenty dollar bills bear the images of men who supported the institution of slavery. Both Jefferson and Washington had biracial children. There is no evidence of Jackson fathering any children with his slaves but he was a slave master nonetheless. Why is it so difficult to acknowledge that we are a less than perfect nation?

Can we get past the meanness of our past and provide some real meaning for our future? Can we heal the wounds of racism by acknowledging their presence in our present and past?

October 6, 2021

End of the republic averted

Peril by Bob Woodward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent book with lots of keen insights and interviews with individuals involved in presidential politics in the past five years. The book confirmed for me the grave danger our republic is in from the forces of evil that have come to dominate the Republican party in the United States. I wasn’t initially in favor of a Joe Biden presidency. I didn’t think he was progressive enough to lead the country forward. Now, however after seeing him in action of the past nine months and learning much more about his history and character through this book I am convinced that he is the right person for the job.

September 27, 2021

An antidote to the last five years

The Reckoning: Our Nation’s Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal by Mary L. Trump

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an exceptionally well researched and written book that I stumbled upon. It was not on my radar but I am so glad that I borrowed it and listened to it on Libby from our public library. Mary Trump is a bright spot and atones for the indelible mark that her surname has had upon the American psyche.

April 6, 2021

Celebrating libraries

This week is National Library Week in the United States. Yesterday I visited one of our local public libraries and borrowed a book. Visiting libraries has always been a religious experience for me. I grew up next to the Arcade Free Library. I spent much of my youth there. It was in that library and others that my imagination was piqued. I remember a book whose title I have long since forgotten where a little boy carved a dugout canoe complete with an indigenous person paddling it. He placed it in a creek and miraculously it made its way all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. That story inspired me to try the same. I don’t know if my primitive dugout ever made it to the gulf but I gave it a try.

After retiring from public education nearly eight years ago I started volunteering in our local library. That led to a stint on the board of trustees. Later I became a trustee of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System. In the past nearly eight years I have been spending a lot of time in libraries again. I’m enjoying that association with public libraries that began so many years ago. I don’t know how much you read but I’m grateful that my life has been spent in public libraries reading and learning.

I encourage you to visit your local public library this week and borrow a book.

April 3, 2021

There is a middle way

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book about a subject that I know very little about. Now, having read the book I know a bit more. It’s every parents wish that their child have a happy life and being gender non-conforming must be terribly rough on the parents and children. Too much of our life and society in general in this country is about either/or when life itself is really about both/and. I recommend this book to everyone young and old with a passion for learning more about people. I especially recommend it for anyone involved remotely in education. This story covered a range of emotions for me. It was a mix of both laughter and tears. There is a middle way and acceptance is the key.

September 23, 2020

Wrong man for the job

Rage by Bob Woodward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a page turner. Woodward does a great job of reporting on the Trump presidency with extensive interviews with the principals in the story. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. The quote from the last page of the Epilogues sums up the book and the Trump presidency as well as anything I’ve read.

“For nearly 50 years, I have written about nine presidents from Nixon to Trump—20 percent of the 45 U.S. presidents. A president must be willing to share the worst with the people, the bad news with the good. All presidents have a large obligation to inform, warn, protect, to define goals and the true national interest. It should be a truth-telling response to the world, especially in crisis. Trump has, instead, enshrined personal impulse as a governing principle of his presidency. When his performance as president is taken in its entirety, I can only reach one conclusion: Trump is the wrong man for the job.”

— Bob Woodward

September 4, 2020

Call to conversion

Waging Peace: One Soldier’s Story of Putting Love First by Diana Oestreich

I’ve read so many good books this summer that i didn’t think it was possible to read one more. This invitation to read this book from a class I am taking at Houghton College. It resonated for me because like the author I was a military medic though in a different war. Like the author I too was conflicted about killing for my country. It was counter to all I had been taught and what I believed. This gripping story of conversion is a must read.