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Hello, library lovers! I am back with another Easing into E-Resources blog, and this time we will be exploring more facets of lili.org! In particular, I would like to talk about some of the useful aspects of NoveList Plus. Immediately going in to refresh myself of all that Novelist offers, I realized that a helpful tutorial might be best to get me started. Luckily, I found two places for tutorials - in the Novelist database, under the section "How Do I?" I found a section called "Learn how to use NoveList." On our library website, click on Research, and under Skills and Hobbies, I found another helpful video through Niche Academy. I decided to play around with the database and see what I wanted to explore. I know that I tend to really love historical romance fiction books from the World War II time period. I put in the search "World War II romance," and then used the refine tools on the left to bring it down to "historical fiction." The first book on the list immediately caught my eye, but oh, no! It wasn't available in our catalog in the format that I prefer to read on! So I went ahead and put in a Purchase Request, and I hope that we get it in! Going through the rest of the list, I had 362 matches, of which I found plenty to put on hold to get me started! I wanted to be able to get back to my list since it looks like there are so many good books around this search, so I looked at ways to save the information. I signed into my account via google and added my results to the folder by clicking on the "share" button. Now, every time I want to look for more books in that search, I can find it in my folder! I decided my next search would be by genre. There is a section titled - Browse Genres. Here the books are arranged similarly to how you would see in Netflix or other streaming apps, with helpful categories such as "Crime and Suspense, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction." There is even a category for "Horror and Gothic Fiction." If you hover over the image, you can get a description of the book. When you choose a genre category, you will also get to see a subcategory of the genre. So, for instance, in "Horror and Gothic," the subcategories include, "Gothic and Southern Gothic, Cosmic horror, Haunted houses and Ghost stories." I am not as familiar with this genre and it's subgenres. Fortunately, on the right side there are also some "Helpful Readers." I feel like this is just the beginning of my NoveList Plus journey, and already it's been amazingly helpful. Caldwell Public Library staff members can help you get started on your own NoveList journey and then assist you in finding the books in our collection, put in requests for purchase, and look further out into other libraries if need be. I hope you have as much fun as I did exploring this valuable LiLI resource!

Did you know September is Library Card Sign-up Month? Across the USA, libraries will be celebrating the empowerment and liberation found by having a library card. As Marley Dias, author and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks says, "A library card provides opportunity for discovery and access to a rich and diverse world. It empowers you to make change and experience new stories." If this is true, why do only 20% of Caldwell residents have a library card? Our best guess is that most folks don't know the extent of things they can do with their library card. For this month's blog post, and in anticipation of Library Card Sign-up Month, we are going to examine a bit of the history of Caldwell's library and the numerous opportunities available to library cardholders. History of the Library in Caldwell If you had to guess - what year would you say Caldwell got its first library? 1976? 1913? 1883? If you guessed 1883, you'd be pretty close! In 1887, a group of women formed a Women's Society and bought books with the intent to create a publicly accessible library/reading room for the town. Caldwell had only been platted for a township in 1883 - and didn't officially become an incorporated city until 1890, so 1887 was very early in the town's history. In an effort to raise funds for the reading room, the ladies society held an ice cream social with homemade cakes and hand-stirred ice cream (yum). They raised $75 with their first social - quite a sum in those days! The original library was housed in the back of a local jewelry store and was completely run by the ladies of the Society. In the following years, the library moved to the town's photograph gallery and then into the College of Idaho library when it opened in 1892. As the town grew, another reading room was opened behind the Doan Mercantile Company. This was in operation for several years, providing a space for meetings, as well as newspapers and magazines. It closed when the President of the Women's Society moved out of town. The topic of a reading room was again brought up in 1899 by the Women's Temperance Society who wished to create a communal space without alcohol (there were several saloons on Main Street at the time). They were successful in their efforts and opened a reading room on Arthur Street, followed by another building on Arthur. The reading room was eventually moved into City Hall. During this time, The Progress Club Reading Room was staffed and furnished by the ladies of the Temperance Society. The books (about 200) from the original Caldwell Reading room were requisitioned from the College of Idaho to create "the foundation of a City Library." Many more books and furnishings were donated over the years. You can read more about the early days of Caldwell's Library in the short work "A History of the Library and Reading Room Movement in Caldwell." As the town continued to grow, it became evident that what was really needed was a publicly-funded community library. The private support of the reading room/library was barely enough to keep the doors open. After many years of fighting for support from the city, the library finally began receiving public funds in 1907. The first official library board of trustees was in 1909. After a lot of grassroots efforts, the city was awarded a grant for a new library building from the Carnegie Foundation. The building was completed in 1914 and still stands on the corner of 11th Ave. and Cleveland Blvd. It currently houses the Veterans' Memorial Hall. The library remained in the Carnegie Building until 1976 when our current building on the corner of Dearborn and 10th Ave was completed. Looking through old documents from the early days in this building, it is amazing to see how much has changed and how our services have expanded. Our building has undergone remodeling in several stages over the last 10 years, and our staff has made a concerted effort to be more involved in the community. Although we have a relatively small staff, each of us works hard to provide meaningful services and quality assistance to our community members. What you can do with a library card... If I was to ask what you could do with your library card, or for that matter, what you could do at your library - what would you say? The most obvious answer is that you can borrow books, right? But that's only the beginning! With a Caldwell Library card, you can borrow books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, kits, wifi hotspots, bike locks, educational tablets for kids, and even more. We have materials for all ages from 0 to 120 and beyond! Our kits range from story kits for kids to outdoor activity kits like bocce ball and board games. We are always open to adding more, so let us know what you'd like to see! Your library card also allows you to borrow or request materials from several other libraries - Nampa, Meridian, Garden City, Eagle, Boise, Kuna, and the Ada Community Libraries, specifically. Your library card also gives you access to a variety of digital materials, including Libby (ebooks, audio, and magazines), Freegal (unlimited music streaming), and an assortment of databases for personal and professional research - ask a librarian for more information, or check out our e-resource blog posts. You can also use that handy little card to use one of our computers, or a computer at a participating library. Of course, there are also library services you can use without a library card, such as test proctoring services, copying and scanning, technology tutoring, programs and activities for all ages, and the sweet free Wi-Fi - but getting a library card gives you access to so much more! But what if you live outside city limits, and you don't fall into a library district? Unfortunately, we don't have a Canyon County Library District (yet), but that doesn't mean you can't get a library card! For folks outside the city tax district, there is a small household fee for a library card - just $47.31/year a year for the entire household! Sound like a lot? Consider this - an Audible subscription is $14.95/month, or $179.40/year, for 2 free premium audiobooks (per month) and access to Audible Originals - that's just for e-Audio; Amazon Prime is $12.99/month or $119/year, which gives you access to a select number of Amazon original ebooks, Prime Music, Prime TV, and free shipping - this gets closer to a library card, but not quite there - and it's 3x the price. I don't know about you, but looking at it from this perspective makes a library card seem well worth the yearly non-resident cost - especially if you're a big reader or want to explore more of the services the library offers. The decision to get a library card is, of course, entirely up to you, but we hope you'll stop in and give us a try. Still not convinced about the library's awesomeness? What would you like to see from us? Let us know in the comments, or send us an email infolibrary@cityofcaldwell.org. Updated on 10/3/2022 to reflect updates to the non-resident fee price.

What is Microfilm? What is Microform? Ah, microfilm, the archivists dream. Microfilm has the ability to take incredible amounts of information and put it into a form that fits easily into storage and takes a small amount of effort to view, print, and share. According to this very helpful blog, microfilm has been around since 1839 and was invented by John Dancer. It was later used to help with the transmission of information with the help of carrier pigeons. Microfilm is a way to preserve a lot of information on a small scale so that it can be stored with little to no maintenance. The technology used to view the information is also low maintenance and can be done independently and easily with the right training. Microfilm is a type of microform, and microform has been used in various ways to store information throughout time. A lot of library patrons remember microfiche (which perhaps some libraries still use) but is no longer used at Caldwell Public Library. Other types of microform are: aperture cards, flat film, and ultrafiche. Want to learn more about the different types of microform and how it has been used for library archiving? Check out this extremely informative article from the American Library Association! One special mention of microform is stereoscope form, which was very popular in the 1950's and known widely from the toy by the name of View-Master. The history of View-Master is so interesting, including some of the brilliant business moves made by Sawyer's, Inc. Other interesting information you can find on stereoscope is The World War through the stereoscope a visualized, vitalized history of the greatest conflict of all the ages, available through The Library of Congress. Did you ever have a View-Master toy and if so, what was your favorite story to view? What do we like to put on microfilm? There is a surprising amount of interesting data stored with microfilm within Treasure Valley. Such as The Sears catalog by year, History of California and History of the Northwest Coast, by Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Downfall by Emile Zola, Organic Gardening Periodicals, and the Early History of the Boise Region by Eugene B Chaffee. Some of these records and archives are available at the location only or with the assistance of library staff, so please make sure you ask about the details of each from their lending libraries! What We Offer at CPL! Caldwell Public Library has a lot of newspaper archives for mainly the Idaho Press Tribune, formerly known as the Caldwell News Tribune. We are also working on a large digitizing project of this collection and other historical photos and sometimes you will see us working on it here at the library! We have had various requests for archival searches, some were easier than others, but for the most part we have found what we were looking for. Staff can work on these projects an hour a week until we have found the information and print out the articles and images or send them electronically. For more information, message us via the website chat or the library email, or call or drop by and we can begin our search. Patrons are also welcome to book a session with the microfilm machine as an independent user. This comes in handy especially if you already have experience with our microfilm machine. There are also a lot of digital archives available through our digital newspaper section on our website, and other libraries have archived collections that you can explore too, such as Boise Public Library, who has their own system of exploring Idaho Statesman's obituary index. More to Read and Explore... Feeling like nerding out some more about microfilm? Look no further than our library catalog (well, look a little further sometimes, but still...) Click each image to get a link to the book we have in our collection! Have fun reading more about this subject! Books on Microfilm Books with Microfilm in the Story

Please note, the opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the Caldwell Public Library. As I'm handing out Summer Reading Prize books, one title keeps grabbing my attention - Action Park it reads, accompanied with a gnarly picture of a flaming skeletal head in a dune buggy. Each time I pass it, something in the back of my head tries to click into place, "Was it a movie? A TV show? Did I read another book about it?" The AH-HA moment hit one night while I was falling down the Youtube rabbit hole of defunct amusement rides around the country when the algorithms offered a suggestion for a video from Kevin Perjurer (the DefunctLand videos are a whole different rabbit hole) about a water/theme park called, "Action Park." Finally, I connected the two. Excitedly, I told my friend, "Hey! I saw this book at the library about Action Park, it was a pretty crazy place I guess." He looked at me, puzzled, and said, "Well yeah, didn't a bunch of people die?" I wasn't sure what part of this phrase finally put the thought I was having in place, but I realized I had actually heard the name from a 2018 movie Action Point featuring Johnny Knoxville. Side note here, I had a lot of brothers growing up so movies like these were pretty common for our household. Luckily, my brothers never tried to recreate any stunts. Queue me spending the rest of the night reading all about this insane park operating mostly in the 1980s. Action Park: fast times, wild rides, and the untold story of America's most dangerous amusement park by Andy Mulvihill offers a unique look at the workings of Action Park from its conception to its final days being operated by his father, Gene Mulvihill. With a catchy phrase, "Where you're the center of the action!" it tells of the impact Action Park made over the years in Vernon Township, New Jersey. Over its 20 years of operation, the thousands of accidents, multiple deaths, and several scandals have made it a memorable enough place to be the subject of books, movies, and documentaries. I didn't read this book to hear about all the accidents and negligence (this is/was highly debated in the narration) but to stare in disbelief at the absolutely insane contraptions Gene Mulvihill put in his park. Andy Mulvihill does a great job describing the charismatic personality of his father that led to outrageous rides and experiences that people in and around New Jersey craved with abandon. He also acknowledges the dangers and deaths he and the other employees experienced as well as the mental toll. As a 90s kid, I remember going to places like Disneyland and Lagoon (there was an experience with the old wood rollercoaster that's left me from trying other coasters) but never hearing anything about dangerous rides. Reading Action Park reminded me of tales I'd heard from my dad about all the things teenagers got up to in the late 70s/early 80s. This book provided proof, along with pictures, about how vastly different regulations were from the 90's until now. This was a great read, and I texted my dad when I was finished to tell him about this park that catered to thrill-seekers like himself (back in the day). He admitted, "Sounded like my kind of place haha." For more opportunities to learn about Action Park try out these resources: The Most Insane Amusement Park Ever - a short documentary by Matt Robertson Class Action Park - a 2020 documentary on HBO Max

Parents often have difficulty finding books for children with limited reading skills that will keep them engaged. For those seeking materials to keep children occupied on their own this can present a challenge. Furthermore, young readers that are not quite ready for chapter books or longer reads will quickly find themselves done with their picture books or easy readers. This can be particularly challenging on trips where a metaphorical mountain of these materials would be needed to keep a child entertained without a screen. If only there was a picture book format that engaged readers the way text does. A richly illustrated book that required careful observation and concentration. A book where many small details tell a plethora of individual stories. Perhaps there could be objects hidden in these elaborate scenes for the reader to seek out? Where’s Waldo, first published in 1987, has delighted readers young and old with its whimsical and chaotic scenes. Known by the title Where’s Wally in many other parts of the word, this long-running series is the brainchild of creator Martin Handford and has set the gold standard for seek and find style books. The series has been popular enough to inspire video games, multiple cartoon adaptations, and a large number of other activity books starring Waldo and his friends. Waldo’s red and white striped apparel have become iconic and his name synonymous with this style of book. If you’re completely unfamiliar with Where’s Waldo or seek and find books in general, the concept is extremely simple. An activity style book, Where’s Waldo has a set cast of characters to be found in every scene and a number of recurring objects. These characters include the titular Waldo, his friends Wenda and Wizard Whitebeard, his dog Woof, and his ne’er-do-well opposite, Odlaw. Additionally, every scene has a unique list of searches highlighting some unique situations, characters, objects, and visual gags. Each two-page search is richly illustrated and teaming with life. Filled with bright and vibrant characters and backgrounds, “Where’s Waldo” is a feast for the eyes. Because doing a Where’s Waldo requires little to no reading, books of this style are excellent for any age. Collaboration and competition are also possible when multiple sets of eyes scan the page. Who can find the most characters or objects? Who can find them the fastest? And, can you help me find Woof, he’s really hidden? The accessibility and appeal for young readers helps foster an interest in reading and promotes many important developmental skills such as identifying patterns, looking for detail, and engaging with word play. Other notable examples in the seek and find genre include the popular I Spy series and Can you see what I see. I Spy is a good example of the variety that can be found in the genre by utilizing photographed sets of unique objects for readers to find with descriptions for each object provided in rhyme. When it comes to seek and find books there is no shortage of creative examples for eagle eyed readers of any age. The fanciful and energetic scenes concealing Waldo and his friends elicit a sense of wonder in the viewer. I’m a thirty-year-old man but I immediately feel like a kid again the second I crack open one of Waldo’s many books. My wife and I are currently working our way through the entire series. A word of warning for potential Waldo watchers, the difficulty increases with each book. Waldo and his friends get smaller, more concealed, and the number of people on each page increases as the books go on. What are your favorite seek and find or activity books? Have you become a Waldo watcher? Let us know in the comments below. Waldo's adventures in order: Where’s Waldo Where's Waldo Now Where's Waldo: The Fantastic Journey Where's Waldo: In Hollywood Where's Waldo: The Wonder Book Where's Waldo: The Great Picture Hunt Where's Waldo: The Incredible Paper Chase

April 2021 is the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month! It was first declared National Poetry Month in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets and has been celebrated worldwide ever since. So what is National Poetry Month? It is a time to celebrate poetry and the poets who write it. There are many ways you can celebrate poetry - from reading your favorite poem to exploring the works of a new poet or even trying to write some of your own poetry. You can find more ideas for celebrating National Poetry Month on poets.org. In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought it would be fun to highlight five contemporary poets and their most recent works. You can find the works of these poets through our online catalog or by placing an interlibrary loan request. As you explore these poets and more, I hope you find joy and inspiration in their words and rhythms and that you continue to enjoy the beauty of poetry. Rupi Kaur Our first poet is a 28-year-old Indian-Canadian poet, Rupi Kaur. Kaur started writing poetry at a young age and self-published her first work of poetry while in college. She became almost an instant success, and her third collection of poetry, home body, is a #1 bestseller on multiple lists worldwide. Kaur illustrated her first collection of poetry from beginning to end and continued this tradition with her following books. One thing that sets Kaur's work apart from other poetry is it's distinct style - every poem is comprised of only lowercase letters and periods. Kaur copied this style from the scripts of her native language Punjabi and states that she loves the simplicity of the language and how it reflects her work. Her third and most recent collection of poetry, Home body is "a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of one's self." (https://rupikaur.com/pages/home-body) You can place a hold on the collection from one of our sister libraries using the online catalog. Diane Raptosh Diane Raptosh is a local poet who teaches literature and creative writing, as well as co-directs the program in Criminal Justice/Prison Studies at the College of Idaho. She was named the Boise Poet Laureate in 2013 and served as an Idaho Writer in Residence from 2013 to 2016. An Idaho native, Raptosh just released her sixth collection of poetry, Dear Z: the Zygote Epistles, in 2020. Raptosh has taught creative writing workshops in many different places, including maximum security prisons and is a fierce advocate for poetry. Dear Z is written in letters that create a tour of 21st century America and explore identity, language, and more. Her seventh work, Run: A Verse History of Victoria Woodhull, is scheduled for release this spring. Claudia Rankine Jamaican poet, Claudia Rankine, isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects in her writing. She urges her readers to engage in difficult conversations in order to expose white supremacy and racism in our individual and collective actions. My favorite collection of poetry from her is Citizen: An American Lyric which won the 2014 National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry, as well as the 2015 PEN Open Book Award and 2015 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Poetry. I listened to the collection through our Libby app and was struck by the thought-provoking verse and unflinching tone. In addition to her works of poetry, Rankine has written three plays, co-edited multiple anthologies, and co-founded The Racial Imaginary Institute. Her works have won numerous Just Us: An American Conversation was released in September 2020 and tackles white supremacy, racism, and how to have meaningful conversations about these issues. Rankine sprinkles essays, poems, and images together to make a beautiful, provocative collection. r.H. Sin Reuben Holmes, aka r.H. Sin, is an up-and-coming poet who gained an appreciation for and love of poetry in the third grade when he found Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven at his local library. He experimented with different forms of poetry throughout his school years and after high school became heavily invested in working with social media, particularly Twitter. Since he was able to work from home, he had time to write, and in 2014 he began dabbling in poetry within the 140 character limit on Twitter. His following grew and he began cross-promoting his work on Instagram where his following has continued to expand and grow. And now, in 2021, Sin hasn't slowed a bit. Now commonly referred to as a feminist Instagram poet, Sin has released multiple works of poetry. The most recent publication available through the library is Empty Bottles Full of Stories, co-written with Robert M. Drake. You can find him on Instagram @r.h.sin and Twitter @byRHSin. Ocean Vuong Vietnamese-born and American-raised, Ocean Vuong, published his first poetry chapbook in 2010. Vuong's poetry explores refugee culture, desire, and transformation. You may recognize his name from his first novel, published in 2019, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. He has released two chapbooks (small collections of poetry, up to 40 pages in length), a full-length poetry book, and his epistolary novel. He is the recipient of a 2019 MacArthur "Genius" Grant as well as several other awards. Night Sky with Exit Wounds, his full-length book of poetry, was released in 2016 and won several awards, including Library Journal Best Books of the Year (2016), Whiting Award (2016), and Publishing Triangle's Thom Gunn Award (2017). It was also a finalist for other awards. The poetry in this work has a raw emotional tone and touches on America's attempt to silence "othered voices." You can find some of his poetry online at https://www.oceanvuong.com/poems Did you like this list? Stay tuned for more recommended reading lists or call the library to get more recommendations!

Have you ever had something break? I’d be shocked if you haven’t. After all, nothing lasts forever. Why just last weekend our second kick drum on our electric kit broke and my warranty had just expired. Dutifully, I began searching for a replacement, but I was dismayed that we’d gone through two drums in just over three years. And let me assure you, these things aren’t cheap! I knew what part was broken, but the manufacturers didn’t list replacement parts or provide instructions on how the drum was assembled. How frustrating! Unfortunately, some things are made to be broken. That is, they are designed to fail and be replaced. Planned obsolescence is the policy of designing or manufacturing a product with a limited lifespan or serviceability. Why, you ask, would a company design an inferior product or limit the owner from repairing it? So they can sell it to you again or charge you outrageous rates to service it themselves. Alternatively, some products just become obsolete at an alarming rate. Smartphones and other small, chip-heavy devices tend to have shorter lifespans simply because of the pace at which technology advances. I wasn’t about to open my wallet just to get burned again, and I hated that all the other components on the failed kick drum were just going to waste! Why, I wondered, should I purchase an entirely new drum when one teeny tiny part could be replaced? So I started researching and discovered that the pre-wired piezo I needed to fix my drums was not only extremely inexpensive but fairly easy to replace with a little bit of soldering. Having found my parts, purchasing appropriate solder, and tearing down my drum pieces, I started looking for resources on soldering and small electronics repair. What better place to start than the library? I found a plethora of books on these subjects to help guide me and provide solid foundational information. Knowing that replacing these minor parts on my drums would be a gateway to similar types of repairs on other equipment, I didn’t want to limit myself to the possibilities of more complex work. I wasn’t expecting my first project to be an immediate success, but I was pleasantly surprised! Both of the piezos I soldered onto my drums functioned just fine with only one minor setback. The glue I used to adhere my new components to the drum pads failed and will need to be replaced, but my soldered wires and reassembled pads worked as intended. I’m excited to run down my list of other soldering projects such as instrument cables, capacitor replacements, and adding a bypass switch to one of my analog recorders. The concept of planned obsolescence is a symptom of capitalism and consumerism run amok. Constantly upgrading or replacing our goods creates a lot of waste. The cost and burden of this waste fall on communities that have to haul it from homes, collect it from roadsides, dredge it from lakes, and pile it into landfills. However, there are local and global organizations pursuing legislation to restore consumer’s rights. The “right to repair” movement seeks to empower consumers and reduce corporate overreach. Demanding that companies make their goods not only serviceable by individuals and third parties but robust enough to meet a minimum lifespan is the foundation on which the movement is built. So save your money, your planet, and your independence and see what you can fix. Impress friends, family, and potential romantic partners with your incredible ability to repair, repurpose, reuse, or restore what would otherwise become junk! It’s never too late to learn a new skill.

Grab your favorite stuffed animal or two and enjoy this Grab and Go Bag from the Caldwell Public Library! It's springtime here in Caldwell, and the library would usually be hosting its annual "Stuffed Animal Slumber Party" for all of our furry stuffed friends. However, this year we need to be safer than most - so we've designed a kit to help you and your family have your own party - complete with activities, book and song suggestions, and pictures of your friend! If you are comfortable, please share a picture of your Stuffed Animal Slumber Party, we love seeing fun ideas and activities. Tag us in your slumber party photos and use #stuffedanimalslumberparty! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram at @caldwellpubliclibrary. Activity: Friendship Bracelets Berry Bear was our volunteer to try out the friendship bracelet craft! The supplies you need (provided in the kit) are pieces of straws, and two strings or thin pieces of stretchy fabric. Cut the straws into small pieces - choose the colors you like Cut a piece of fabric (preferably stretchy) big enough to go around your wrist and have about 4 inches left over for tying. Do the same for your animal friend - either make a bracelet or a necklace! *If you picked up a kit, the string is already cut for this craft* String the straw pieces onto the fabric When you have about 4 inches left, ties the ends together. Enjoy! Music Suggestions Here are some music suggestions for your slumber party! CD's can be checked out from the library, or you can enjoy music via streaming (Freegal, Youtube, Spotify, Apple, Etc.) Try to pick songs that are designed to be mellow - lullabies or meditation music can help you and your friend relax before bed. Goodnight baby: a collection of lullabies by Two Little Hands Production Wee sing nursery rhymes & lullabies by Pamela Conn Beall A Child's gift of lullabies created by J. Aaron Brown For other suggestions, check out our catalog and try search terms like "goodnight music, lullabies, children's music," etc. Book Suggestions Nothing helps Berry Bear fall asleep faster than a good book! Check out these titles for getting ready for bed, sleeping, and dreaming! Dozy Bear and the secret of sleep by Katie Blackburn; illustrated by Richard Smythe. I don't want to go to sleep by Dev Petty; illustrated by Mike Boldt. There's a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor by Wade Bradford; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Bedtime for Little Bulldozer by Elise Broach; illustrated by Barry E. Jackson Don't forget to check our library catalog for more titles, you can use search terms such as "sleep, bedtime, getting ready for bed," etc. Other Activities Give these other activities a try at your Stuffed Animal Slumber Party! Make a healthy snack - try fruit, vegetables, cheese, and other nutritious foods Read a bedtime story - grab your furry friend and read a story together before bed Dance and Sing with your stuffed animal - try a lullaby Fill out your Sleepover Scrapbook provided in the kit At the end of the night, make sure to tuck in your animal with the fleece blanket provided in the kit. Enjoy your Stuffed Animal Slumber Party!

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audiobooks, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. During this surreal pandemic, Caldwell Public Library had to think quick on how we were going to continue on with our programming with everything closed. What better way to still get out to the public than by shifting online! We have been offering a variety of content on our YouTube channel. While we are all hoping that some day we will be able to once again have in person programming, in the meantime, check out the fun activities we have already highlighted over the last year! Kids Discover and Kitten Tales: Learn how to make puppets, create fun puzzle picture frames, and work on paper weaving skills with Miss Fiona! All three of these project themes featured in Kids Discover help children work on their skills with glue, scissors, and even writing. Work on the projects as a family and everyone can have a great time! For those of you out there who love kitties, the Kitten Tales videos are for you! Miss Fiona shows off the kittens she had over the Fall of 2020 and reads some stories, sings some songs, and tells us a bit about fostering animals. Watch the kittens grow up right before your eyes with this fun video series! Family Reading Week and Rhythm and Rhyme Family Reading Week highlights the importance of reading at all levels of growth, such as reading to our young children and how that helps develop more important learning skills on the path to learning how to read. Enjoy hearing about some great reading recommendations, activities, and giveaways we had at the library, and watch a book reading from Miss Fiona! With Rhythm and Rhyme we learn words that rhyme and then we learn how to create rhythms with homemade instruments! Bring your imaginations and your household items to this noisy party and have fun learning these songs with Miss Fiona. We make drums, kazoos, shakers, and more! Teen and Tween Thursday and Teen and Tween Kit Screen printing, growing crystals, creating your own lip balm, creating string art, and creating your own magnets are all available from Teens and Tweens Videos to learn and explore! Ellie and Michael guide us through projects that are cool and interesting with (almost) no mistakes... or maybe just a few tiny mistakes! Hey, that's a part of the exploration, right? Check out their videos and get to creating some really cool designs! Some of these activities were also created in a kit form that we had at the library! You can pick up a kit and then watch the Teen and Tween Kit videos at home for the instructions to go along with the activity. Do you love this idea and have more ideas for fun kits for teen and tweens? Let us know in the comments or the next time that you come into the library and maybe we can create something based off of your suggestions! Virtual Crafts and Virtual Reads Ellie and Marina show off their knowledge making amazing crafts in our Virtual Crafts series. Learn how to make crocheted pouches, e-textile bookmarks, cross stitched adorable penguins and holiday ornaments. Somehow they make everything look easy! Last but not least is my Virtual Reads Series that I created for our Homebound patrons and the patrons who are missing our outreach programs at the care centers in Caldwell. Tune in to my reading of three Sherlock Holmes stories, each one a fun and interesting mystery by the intriguing mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are plenty of other awesome Sherlock readings online, so have fun exploring more options for you and your family to enjoy! The Future of Programming? Things are looking more promising for us all as we head into the future and people are getting vaccinated around the world. While a lot of time, effort, and materials went into our virtual programs and companion kits, we are looking forward to more interesting ways to approach programming as we head into Summer and Fall. Stay tuned for future announcements!

Library Outreach Services During a Pandemic As Caldwell Public Library's Outreach Librarian, providing library services during this last year has been such a challenge. My calendar for events went from being fully booked and in demand, to nothing but cancellations or postponements. The library team was disappointed in how the pandemic was changing our services and our reach to our population, and it took some time to reassess how we were going to proceed. Once we realized that the closures were going to last longer than a few months, we decided to focus on our community's immediate needs and then go from there. Internet Services As we struggled with going in and out of being open and closed and adjusting our services to the community that needed us, we used our Mobile Makerspace to help us deliver internet services in the Summer. Setting up and tearing down the equipment every day was tiring and a lot of work but it was so worth it. Even though providing internet services outside had its own unique set of complications, the entire staff pulled together to make sure that we were able to assist people with printing, job applications, school work, and other important personal business and career needs. While our library staff has always known that our patrons rely on our computer services, it was a real eye-opening experience for many residents, and our services became essential farther than providing a safe space for children and families and checking out books. While we still did curbside checkouts and assisted patrons the best we could over the phone and virtually, figuring out how to create a workable computer space outside was crucial. Thank goodness we had our Mobile Makerspace to assist us during those difficult times! Summer Reading Prizes Our amazing Youth Services team came up with a brilliant plan on making sure that we could safely get our Summer Reading sign-ups and prizes to our community. By utilizing our Mobile Makerspace we were able to create to-go bags with our patrons prize picks. Our Youth Services team created a way for our patrons to pick out their summer reading prize books by utilizing the app Library Thing. It made it really easy for staff and patrons to explore our collection while still keeping everything clean and safe. Even though our Summer Reading was a lot smaller than we are used to and we couldn't group up for events like we normally love to do, we were still able to assist so many patrons by using our Outreach vehicle as a safe and effective outdoor service point. Why Outreach is Important Outreach sometimes seems counter-intuitive for a library. We have everything a community would need, right in the building, right? Why would we have to leave the library to be able to serve our community? While outreach is important to all libraries, it is essential to ours in particular. With the way that our city has expanded, the limitations of our public transit system, and the reality that not all residents have reliable transportation, it is easy for us to not be able to reach all of our community members. Some of those community members really need our services. This is why library outreach services are so essential for Caldwell. We make the best effort that we can to meet community members where they are so that we can ensure that we are doing our very best to reach everyone. While outreach cannot take the place of another branch location (or two), it allows us to do better than we could than if we were to never leave our building. Homebound and Delivery Services Some of the people that I visit regularly as an Outreach Services Librarian are our homebound patrons. These patrons have signed up to receive their items at their houses on a bi-weekly rotation. The library selects materials based on their preferences and bags them up, drops them off, and picks up their items that they have finished! I don't have as many patrons as I used to have using this service, but I am always taking more homebound applications! Utilizing CDA guidelines for borrowing materials and a strict cleaning and sanitizing approach while on the road, I made sure that our library patrons were still able to get their materials during the closures. We have also introduced delivery services for our vulnerable population recently. Trying to again find the right ways to meet our patrons needs and utilizing the best methods we can find to provide services with a small staff and budget, we have options for patrons who just can't make it into the library. If you believe that you qualify for delivery services, go ahead and fill out our delivery application and you can have your library books dropped off and picked up at your door. Feel free to ask anyone at the library for more information on these services! Thank You for Supporting Your Library! We have been fortunate to have such amazing support of our library and our efforts as we have had to adjust our services for the safety of staff and patrons and we appreciate everything that people have done for us. Even just some supportive words and appreciation has gone a long way, our staff has worked hard to morph services and troubleshoot through all of the change and our library regulars who rely on our internet and our other computer services have been so patient and understanding. We would not be able to do what we do without a community who feels invested in what libraries provide for all its residents, no matter if they are fortunate enough to have their very own home library and entertainment systems or if they use the library for every single service that we offer. If you are interested in supporting your local library, check out our Gala and virtual action event coming up soon!

There are so many influential women throughout history that have motivated many of us to choose career paths, show kindness and generosity to others, and get through tough times or even traumatic experiences. While it is hard to narrow down or highlight all these women in a single post, some of us at Caldwell Public Library have decided to share about a few women who have personally inspired us, shared incredible stories, or have accomplished amazing things. Submitted by Lea: Immaculée Ilibagiza- survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Immaculée suffered the death of most of her family by Hutu Interahamwe soldiers. She hid for 91 days in a small bathroom no larger than 3 feet with seven other women in a Hutu pastors’ home. She went on to survive and author Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (2006) and Led by Faith: Rising from the ashes of the Rwandan Genocide (2008). She described her survival and how God kept her going as she found her place in the world again. Through unbelievably horrific circumstances to a place of power and faith. She embodies the inspirational life of a survivor. She went on to be the recipient of the 2007 Mahatma Gandhi Reconciliation and Peace Award. Submitted by Megan: Dr. Betty G Miller is known as the mother of De’VIA, a genre of art that represents the Deaf experience and culture, both good and bad. She was born hard of hearing to two deaf parents and they didn’t realize she was hard of hearing until she started school. Dr. Betty G Miller obtained a degree in art education at Pennsylvania State University and taught at Gallaudet University for 17 years. She is known as a “resistance” artist, a De’VIA artist who shows the oppression that the Deaf community have faced. She has held many art shows all over the country, her first one being “The Silent World”. Submitted by Monique: Christine Nofchissey McHorse was an incredible artist and highly influential within the Native American community. She was also my aunt. Her work can be seen in various galleries and has been seen in many exhibitions throughout decades. While I cannot speak for all my family members as to what she meant to them, I can tell you what she meant to me. One of the things that I relate to the most when I study my Aunt’s work is her use of abstract shape. Often my own artistic work is done in abstract and I believe it is influenced from her work - and the way that my family always tends to express themselves with music, art, and craft. The story of her work with clay is known throughout all the generations of family members. My aunt passed away from COVID this year and will be mourned by many. The family will have a memorial when the time is right. The COVID virus has hit the Navajo community deeply and disproportionately - and will continue to endure hardships with access to healthcare and water - until we find lasting solutions. I will always remember Christine as a bright force of inspiration, determination, and non-traditional exploration, as well as an extremely influential community member. You may not be able to find her book on our shelves here in the Treasure Valley, but you can find a copy through Interlibrary loan if you wanted to see more of her work. “I learned the basics, but then after that I had to experiment. You try this, and if you make a mistake, don’t quit. Because you learn from your mistakes as well. And they stick. You remember those mistakes.” - Christine Nofchissey McHorse. Who inspires you? Are they well known, less known but incredible still, or someone you know personally or locally that you would love to recognize? Let us know in the comments! Looking for more books on women for Women's History Month? Come by the Caldwell Public Library and let us know what you are looking for and we can assist you with your search, or browse our display section for books we have already collected for the occasion. We can also assist you over the phone, through our website, or through email as well. Happy reading!

Northstar is one of the best bands you’ve never heard of. Their star burned brightly, if only for two studio albums. Is this Thing Loaded is the band’s debut album and an impressive release both in performance and production. Taking Back Sunday, in the liner notes for their genre defining album from the same year Tell All Your Friends, claims Northstar is “the greatest band ever”. Not a recommendation to ignore. Released in 2002 through Triple Crown records, the same label that issued Brand New’s first two albums, Is this Thing Loaded should have placed the band in the same epic tier of their aforementioned peers. It didn’t. But if you’d like to hear what could have been Northstar’s albums are free to stream for our patrons on Freegal. If you haven’t noticed by now I’m a little obsessed with this period in alternative rock. Something magical occurred just as the new millennium was kicking off. There seemed to be a convergence of the best elements of emotional hardcore, pop punk, and alt rock. Is this Thing Loaded is that sound in all its angsty glory. The up-tempo assault of distorted guitars and pained vocals are simultaneously formulaic and inspired. More than a sonic barrage of thick guitars and aggressive back beats, Is this Thing Loaded displays some excellent songwriting chops by breaking up the wall of sound with some more reserved intros, outros, and transitions. Passages in many songs take on an almost Midwestern clean tone with sparkly guitar chord deconstruction, reminiscent of some of the genres mid period bands. The song, "My Wishing Well Disease" in particular displays the band's ability to seamlessly transition between these softer sections into a more thundering and intense chorus or breakdown. It’s clear that Northstar constructs these songs very deliberately, leaving nothing to circumstance. The drumming across the album supports the structure of these songs wonderfully, often exploring some interesting rhythms and fills. The drum outro on the track "Broken parachute" may not be Neal Peart levels of complex, but the groove is infectious and a fun way to lead out the song. There are many subtle structural decisions across the album that reflect the band’s commitment to their craft in every instrumental choice. The production is just as intentional as the song writing and supports the band’s sound well. The panning on the guitars helps to highlight the more subdued melodies and bring them out in the mix so they’re not buried behind the rhythm guitar and bass lines. The vocals are seated somewhat deep in the mix but remain prominent enough that the lyrics are intelligible. If I had one complaint here it would be that the softer passages tend to sit too low in the mix. That is, there’s a little bit too much dynamic range between some sections where more compression is needed to sustain a comfortable listening level. Another weak point lies with the lyrics. While lightyears from bad, this may be where Northstar’s more celebrated peers earned their spots at the top and what distinguishes a good band from a great one. The metaphors and imagery are creative and engaging but lack any personal character. Pain, pleasure, drama, and strife are where the lines point, but a clear sense of voice is lacking. This makes the very emotional experiences behind the songs feel too abstract. All in all Is this Thing Loaded is a fantastic release that deserves a little more attention and I hope this post has found it some new fans. As always, if this style is your jam please check out this album and their second release, “Pollyanna” on Freegal. Also, be sure to check out my other album reviews and leave me a comment. Until next time, farewell!