Hot Reads to begin in January 2016

 

 

Hot Reads will begin on January 2 and run through Feb. 29.   Pick up a reading log at the library and enter drawings to win weekly prizes. The program is for adults only.

 

Thanks to the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library for supporting this program!

 

For more information call the library at 507-645-6606.



New York Times Notables Books 2015

The New York Times has come out with their annual list of notable books. Click here for all 100 titles.
Here are a few that are at the Northfield Library.

 

E-Readers - Getting one for a gift this season? Here are some links with tips on how to choose

The Best Ebook Readers of 2015 from PC Magazine

Comparisons from Consumer Reports

Tablet vs E-Reader? 12 Questions that help you decide

Best ereaders 2015: Which should you buy?


Don't forget that the library has a subscription to Overdrive.  No need to buy ebooks. Download free books with your library card 24/7.  Click here for more information (click on the help button) and to see which devices are supported.  Further questions about Overdrive? Call the library at 507-645-6606.

The Thread with Kerri Miller - Book Talk on MPR

I just heard about a new website by Kerri Miller of MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) called the Thread. It was launched this past February and is the place you'll find information on new books,  Talking Volumes and other literary events in the region. In an interview with Saint Paul Magazine Miller described it as “an all-encompassing, digital media and event-oriented initiative for people who love to read.” You can sign up to get emails when there are new posts. There's also a podcast where you can listen to author interviews wherever you are. You can also listen from the website. Here's some links to some recent posts on new books we have at the Northfield Library.


Keep Moving: and Other Tips and Truths About Aging (921 VAN)  - Dick Van Dyke (click here for the Thread interview)









Warrior Nation: a History of the Red Lake Ojibwe (on order) - Anton Treuer
(click here for the Thread interview)








Brief History of Seven Killings (Fic James) - Marlon James
(click here for the Thread article)





Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter (921 KEN) - Kate Larson
(click here for the Thread interview)

What are Resource Guides?????

Resource guides are tools to give you all kinds of information on a variety of topics.  We've been creating them at the library for over a year and so far we have about 35 guides on topics ranging from genealogy to travel.  Check them out!
Go to our website and click on "Books and More", then "Resource Guides".
http://guides.mynpl.org/


And if you have suggestions on new guides let us know!!!!

Ask us ANYTHING on Tuesdays at the Northfield Senior Center

Reference staff will be ready for questions on Tuesdays at the Northfield Senior Center (1651 Jefferson Parkway), 10-11 am. Find us near the computers in the common area at the Senior Center. We plan to bring a bag of new books for you to browse and check out w/ your library card and we are there to answer any questions you might have on ANYTHING.  Bring your electronic reading device and learn how to download books. Or get help finding the next book to read.  Don't hesitate to call the library at city hall with any questions at 507-645-6606.

Use of the Northfield News Microfilm at the Northfield Historical Society

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances the microfilm collection and reader have been put in storage.  There are ways of accessing the newspaper post 1922 (see below for online access pre- 1922) Please call the library at 507-645-6606 for assistance.

During the Northfield Public Library's renovation, the Northfield News microfilm collection has been temporarily moved to the Northfield Historical Society (NHS). Northfield Public Library staff will be available to help with searching the Northfield News and other historical Northfield newspapers on microfilm at NHS Mondays from 2:00-5:00 PM.   Service is on a first come first served basis. 

Researchers should come to the NHS Museum Store to let staff know they are interested in using the microfilm during that time. They will then be brought down to the research area.

Use of the microfilm on other days  is by appointment only.  Call the Historical Society at 507-645-9268.

 

People who are unable to come to the Northfield Historical Society but still need information from the film should contact the Northfield Public Library at 507-645-6606 or the Northfield Historical Society at 507-645-9268

Also, remember that the Northfield News (1879-1922) has been digitized by the Minnesota Historical Society so no need to use the film for these years.   http://newspapers.mnhs.org/web/mhsnews/web/imu.php?request=access

We've Moved to City Hall!

 

The Northfield Library is up and running at City Hall at 801 Washington Street! We've brought over approximately 10,000 items from our library at 210 Washington. There's something for everyone - new books, movies, fiction, nonfiction, children's books, mysteries, westerns.  We have 6 internet computers and there are a few tables in the hallway people can use for free wifi with their own computers. We have delivery service so patrons can request items from Selco and beyond just like before. We are located on the 2nd floor. There's handicap access via the east parking lot. There's an elevator in the building as well. We have a book drop on the west side of the building in front of the main city hall doors on Washington St.  Drop materials off there anytime.

Our hours are:

Mondays 9-6

Tuesdays 9-8

Wednesdays 9-6

Thursdays 9-6

Fridays 9-6

Saturdays 9-5

 

And call if you have any questions at 507-645-6606.

 

Come see us!



The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey – Memories from the Farm of My Youth

Nationally syndicated agricultural columnist Alan Guebert and his daughter, Mary Grace Foxwell, will appear on Monday June 29, 2015 at 7:00 PM at the Northfield Senior Center to read from their recently released book, The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey.

 

Published by the University of Illinois Press, the book is a collection of personal memories written over the past two decades by Guebert as part of his weekly Farm and Food File column. Each column recalls and reflects on the people, food, and values he learned on the 720-acre, 100-cow “southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth” in the late 1960s.

 Advance reviews describe the book as authentic, humorous, and astute. Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, notes "Alan Guebert is one of America's finest writers on the workings and the politics of our food system. This book eloquently describes a rural way of life that's been lost. But the values of that world—family, community, social justice, a respect for the land—are timeless."

 Copies will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

 
The program is cosponsored by the Northfield Public Library and the Northfield Senior Center.  The event is free and open to the public.  For more information call the Library at 507-645-6606 or the Senior Center at 507-664-3700.

 

 

The Library Needs You!

UPDATE! - The renovation project has been delayed slightly. We will NOT be packing the library in June. We expect the pack to take place sometime later this summer. For those who have already volunteered we will notify you later to see if you can still help. If you would still like to volunteer leave your name and contact info at the library and we'll notify you when the pack dates are confirmed. Thanks so much. If you have any questions call the  library at 507-645-6606 and ask for Debby or Laurie.




Beginning June 8 the Library will be packing up its entire collection for storage while the building is under renovation.  We are looking for volunteers to help us with this amazing task!  There are LOTS of ways you can help.  We'll need packers, box builders, snack/lunch helpers, runners, sign-in desk helpers, box movers and cart loaders.  We'll have 3 shifts per day, each shift totaling 2 hours.  The plan is to pack beginning Monday June 8 through Thursday June 11. Shifts begin at 8:00 am and end at 3:00 pm.  Sign up for whatever works for you that week.   The City of Northfield requires that all volunteers sign a waiver form and also undergo a background check.  There are two ways to sign up.  Go to http://guides.mynpl.org/libraryimprovement, print and fill out the forms and return to the library.  Or just stop by the library.  We will have the forms available for you here.   If you have any questions call the library at 507-645-6606 and ask for Debby or Laurie.  City restrictions require that volunteers are of high school age or older.

Volunteer signup deadline is May 15. Thanks for your help!

 

New books and more

There are some great book reviews and interviews on NPR. Just go to npr.org and click on "Arts and Life", then books. Look for interviews.
Here's a list of books we have gotten recently and a link to an interview with the author on NPR. You can use this for a book group discussion or to just know a little more about the author.





Redeployment by Phil Klay (Fic)
This collection of short stories takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned
Click here for the author interview.




.Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives- Gretchen Rubin  (on order)
Habits are the invisible architecture of our lives. Rubin provides an analytical and scientific framework from which to understand these habits- as well as change them for good.
Click here for the author interview.







Bettyville: a Memoir - George Hodgman
George Hodgman leaves his home in Manhattan to take care of his aging mother in his hometown of Paris, Missouri.
Click here for the author interview.




Girl in a Band - Kim Gordon (921 GO)
One of the first women of rock and roll and a founding member of Sonic Youth, Gordon tells her life story.
Click here for the author interview.





End of College: Creating the Future of Learning and the University of Everywhere- Kevin Carey (371.35 CA)
Carey explains how 2 trends - the skyrocketing cost of college and the revolution in information technology- are converging in ways that will radically alter the college experience, upend the traditional meritocracy, and emancipate hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Click here for the author interview.




The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game - Mary Pilon (794 PI)
The Monopolists reveals the unknown story of how Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the game,  and one man's lifelong obsession to tell the true story about the game's questionable origins.
Click here for the author interview.



Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro (Fic)
The Buried Giant begins as a couple sets off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.  Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Ishiguro's first novel in a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge and war.
Click here for the author interview.




Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia - Michael Booth (948.071 BO)
A travelogue of the Scandinavian countries and how they might not be as happy or perfect as we assume.
Click here for the author interview.

Interim Library Services

The Library will be undergoing a renovation beginning this summer.
Library services will be continuous as we will be opening a temporary library at City Hall - 801 Washington.  We are starting a blog to update the Northfield community on library services while the 210 Washington Street address is under construction.
http://nplmove2015.blogspot.com/

Other renovation information can be found at:
http://npl210.blogspot.com/

http://guides.mynpl.org/content.php?pid=614083


If you have any questions about library services call the library at 507-645-6606.

Questions about downloading ebooks or audiobooks?

 

We can help!!

Mondays 2:00-5:15 pm

Tuesdays 3:00-7:00 pm

Thursdays 2:00-7:00 pm

(or by appt)

Ask at the desk upstairs

Bring your device – make sure you have a library card

before you come and Amazon account

information if you have a Kindle