August 2020... What is Happening at the Library??!

 

Another month has passed and August has arrived. Our focus remains on the safety of our patrons as well as our staff. Thus far, according to hearsay, everyone seems satisfied with our efforts to serve you by appointment and to fill your requests with "porch side" service, so..... we will continue with both as we work our way through this month.

The library will be open, Wednesdays from 2 until 5 and Saturdays from 10 until noon for appointments only giving us time to quarantine returned books in between the two days. If you are comfortable coming into the library, email me at sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org for your special time to come. When you arrive for your ‘appointment’, please come to the front door and knock. When you come in we ask that you wear a mask and take a moment to apply some of our hand sanitizer. Then you will be out set to return and select books...

We will continue to check out books and leave them on the porch at 36 Buffalo Road for you to pick up. We are now into our fourth month and have been getting busier, so you will notice that, on the porch, we have one bench for books to be picked up and a second bench for books being returned. It is not easy for us to always keep track of what is coming in and what is going out!! You are all doing a great job leaving your name when you return books... this is a big help when we check the books back in to the library! Thank you!

At this time, the Inter-Library van service is not operating so we are unable to request books from other libraries. We are hopeful that this service will start up by the end of the month. We miss it.

The 2020 census is underway. NH’s response is just above 60% so we want to encourage everyone in the town of Rumney, if you haven’t already done so, to take a moment, and complete the census. The results of the census help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year. It also determines how many seats in Congress each state gets. You may fill out the census on line (2020census.gov) or by phone (call 1-844-330-2020). If you received a form in the mail, you may mail it in.

We, in New Hampshire, have two elections coming up in the months ahead. The primary election will take place on September 8^th and the general election on November 3^rd.  This year registered Rumney voters may cast their ballot at Russell School or by mail if away or have health risk concerns. You need to submit an application to vote by mail in a timely manner. You may find the form online or pick up one from the town clerk. 

Jane is continuing email contact with our "Story Timers" each Wednesday morning with a  fun story and an art project. The kids eagerly await their next special note from Ms Jane. If you know a pre-schooler who might like to participate please let Jane know...  jkelso@rumneylibrary.org

We have had a delightful volunteer helping us out each Thursday afternoon this summer. Samantha Tullis is studying at Plymouth State and is considering becoming a librarian. As a child she summered in Ossipee and looked forward to visiting that library as often as she could. This summer, she looked around the Plymouth area for a library and selected us! Thus far she has moved a lot of books, labeled a lot of shelves, and set up a lot of displays.... all things you will appreciate when you visit our library! This week we plan to attack the supply closet! We are most appreciative for her help.

Our middle schoolers now have their own room for browsing and reading... we still plan to add a new rug and some wall art to make it super cozy. Many new books have been added to our collection... look for this list at the end of this missive. All returned books (and there are many) are sanitized and quarantined. Rachel is pretty much full time now at the Church next door but is still helping us out with a few special projects... we miss seeing her on a regular basis. So... a lot is happening.

Susan and the Library Ladies

Byron G Merrill Library, 10 Buffalo Road, Rumney NH 03266

‘Open’ by appointment on Wednesdays 2-5 and Saturdays 10-12

Keep in touch... Reach Susan at sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org

and Jane at jkelso@rumneylibrary.org

You are our priority!

New Books for Adults...

Paths Less Traveled: Tramping on Trails and Sometimes Not to New Hampshire's Special Places by Gordon DuBois 

The Colors of All the Cattle #19 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver

Walk the Wire by David Baldacci

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

Commencement by J Courtney Sullivan

A Good provider is One Who Leaves...One Family and Migration in the 21st Century by Jason DeParle

    Coming Soon

Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber

Friends and Strangers by J Courtney Sullivan

The End of Her by Shari Lapena

The Captain's Daughter by Meg Mitchell Moore

 

 

 

From House Beautiful: Little Women and the Power of Staying Home

Happy Saturday to everyone.... Two busy days this week filled with "appointments" and "requests"... It is so much fun to feel needed! 

We will continue in the same manner this next week so you know the drill... email me at sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org if you would like to be scheduled or have us pack a bag for you.

We do hope you are all fine... We are holding up here but miss seeing everyone! Meanwhile enjoy this article!!

A book published over 150 years ago may well be the best argument for staying home, something many of us have found new appreciation for (or frustration with) over the past few months. Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women is proof that great stories can happen without having to go anywhere at all. A fair amount of the classic novel takes place at home—not abroad, not at a party, not by hanging out with groups of people who risk the well being of the world just to socialize with each other—but at home. It's not a story of going on a big adventure by leaving home and meeting new people who you otherwise would not have met; it's a story of how everything you need is right at home.

Being with family is the foundation of this novel—nearly all of the main characters live under the same roof, and even the supporting characters live nearby, like Laurie and Mr. Laurence, who live next door. Louisa May Alcott even incorporated some home decor inspiration into her novel, like when she mentions “blue and yellow chintz curtains”.

Not only does Little Women take place at home, it was written at home, and that home still exists today, as a historic house museum in Concord, Massachusetts. Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House is a tangible portal to the world in which Little Women was written and set, and the home was recreated inside and out for last year’s film adaptation of the famed novel, thanks to director Greta Gerwig, who decided to film entirely in Alcott’s home state.

Little Women is a mirror of life today in more ways than one: This story also deals with illness, as Beth March contracts scarlet fever and is bedridden for quite some time, with her sister Jo able to take care of her because she's had scarlet fever and therefore has immunity (Notice we never see Beth milling about and potentially spreading the disease, because she stays home!).

The relevance of this story rings true now more than ever for a multitude of reasons, including the importance of and beauty of staying home. You might find that you don’t need to wait for a trip in order to experience adventure, and that’s because you don’t change just because your location does. As Louisa May Alcott said herself, "The power of finding beauty in the humblest of things makes home happy and life lovely." Little Women shows that, to quote House Beautiful’s mantra, life begins at home, and you don't need to go elsewhere to really live.

MARY ELIZABETH ANDRIOTIS Contributing WriterMary Elizabeth Andriotis is a home decor and culture writer based in New York.

It is July and We Are Open (Sorta)....

We will be ‘Open’ but by appointment

 

The staff will be manning the library on a reduced schedule, Wednesdays from 2 until 5 and Saturdays from 10 until noon.  We will be scheduling appointments for singles or bubbles every half hour, so, if you feel comfortable visiting the library, email me at sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org for your special time to come. If these times do not work for you, let me know, and we will do our best to accommodate you at other times.

When you arrive for your ‘appointment’, please come to the front door, knock, and we will invite you in. We ask that you wear a mask, apply hand sanitizer (which we have on hand) as you enter and keep your visit brief.  You will then be free to return your books, peruse the stacks and make your selection. This is new to us too so please bear with us.

We will continue to pull books (email Susan with your request) and leave them on the porch at 36 Buffalo Road for you to pick up. We are now into our third month and have been getting busier, so you will notice that, on the porch, we have one bench for books to be picked up and a second bench for books being returned. It is not easy for us to always keep track of what is coming and what is going!!

This is the current plan for July keeping all of us socially distanced, safe, and reading. You are welcome to check back for any updates and share any ideas you might have. We look forward to seeing you, or at least, keeping in touch! Enjoy the summer and stay safe!

Susan and the Library Ladies

Byron G Merrill Library, 10 Buffalo Road, Rumney NH 03266

‘Open’ by appointment on Wednesdays 2-5 and Saturdays 10-12

Keep in touch... Reach Susan at sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org

and Jane at jkelso@rumneylibrary.org

You are our priority!