Robin's blog

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write (You) a Letter

Submitted by Robin on April 1, 2013 - 5:09pm
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Courtesy of donovanbeeson / Flickr / Creative Commons licensed

"Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls; for, thus friends absent speak." -- John Donne, in a verse letter to Sir Henry Wotton, written before April 1598.

I love the thrill of finding a hand-written note tucked into the interminable piles of junk mail that show up in my mailbox.

To prove it, I have 25 years of archived correspondence: postcards from around the globe, hand-made birthday cards filled with my sister's effusive love, even a tender billet-doux or two. These physical artifacts tie me emotionally and metaphysically to the people who have touched my life. April is National Card and Letter Writing Month, which gives us the perfect excuse to connect to those we care about through the written word.

Plant Your Seeds of Greatness...Act on Your Dreams and Ideas

Submitted by Robin on February 11, 2013 - 10:58am
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Courtesy of StephenMitchell/Flickr, Creative Commons licensed

February is Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month, a campaign designed to encourage everyone to take steps to "remove barriers and make a change in your life for the better." Reflect on how you can make a difference for yourself, your family, your business, or your community. Then acquire the tools and skills you need to act on your ideas and dreams.

 

Planting the seeds of greatness aligns so perfectly with one of the Library’s strategic impact statements: “People’s lives are improved by acquiring the resources and skills needed to prosper and contribute...” If you are ready to sow the seeds of improvement and turn your goals into reality, the library has a useful collection of tools to help you succeed.

Library Classes and Appointment Services

Finding Sheet Music at the Library

Submitted by Robin on December 4, 2012 - 1:47pm
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Aïda in Full Score

With over 10,000 sheet music anthologies at the library, customers can find everything from Broadway show tunes to American Negro Spirituals, Irish street ballads to classical symphonies.

In theory, it’s a veritable treasure trove! In practice, any musician or musical director knows how hard it can be to locate a particular song within a universe of songbooks and score anthologies.

Library staff are always happy to play musical detective with you. But to search on your own, I offer you four tools for successful song sleuthing:

There's no debate...the Library has great resources

Submitted by Robin on November 7, 2012 - 1:12pm
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"Debate and Oratory," 1909 University of Washington yearbook, public domain

French essayist Joseph Joubert said, “It is better to debate a question without settling it, than to settle a question without debating it.” He understood that debate, forensics, and persuasive writing foster critical thinking skills, analytical self-reflection, intellectual curiosity, and a respect of difference.

Increasingly, students are being asked to justify, synthesize, and analyze complex issues into persuasive written and oral arguments. Assignments like these tie into the recently adopted Common Core Standards which “reflect... the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.”

The library has both online and print resources to help students assemble research content, understand the mechanics of debate and persuasive writing, and polish a presentation.

Databases

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