It’s my favorite time of year again. The oppressive heat has lifted, the leaves have started falling, and there’s a subtle chill in the air that makes me crave a warm beverage and a sweater. Yes, Fall has descended upon us and with it comes the most ghoulish night of the year, Halloween! To help get you in a spooky mood I asked staff for their favorite Halloween movie recommendations. I’ve pared-down the list and made sure to include some flicks appropriate for the whole family as well as some more gruesome fare for when the little goblins are at rest. So prepare for goosebumps, spine crawling shivers, and frightful fun! Here are Caldwell Public Library’s top Halloween picks! Hocus Pocus (PG) After 300 years, the Sanderson sisters are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it's up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all. Bette Midler delivers an unforgettable performance in this classic Halloween film. Monster House (PG) A group of kids discover that a neighborhood house is actually a monster. To solve the mystery of the house they must go inside it, before it takes everyone that crosses its path. Wildly imaginative and captivating. The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween has become bored with the same routine every year. While on a walk in the woods he discovers a door leading to Christmastown and decides to spread Christmas joy to the world. But things don’t go as planned when Oogie Boogie plots to play a game with Santa Claus' life and creates a nightmare for all the good little boys and girls everywhere. Casper (PG) Determined to get her hands on her father's hidden fortune, Carrigan is forced to hire an afterlife therapist to exercise the ghosts that keep frightening her away. Dr. Harvey and his daughter, Kat, move in and soon Kat meets Casper, the friendliest ghost. But Casper's uncles are still determined to drive all the "fleshies" away. Addams Family & Addams Family Reunion (PG-13) Con artists plan to fleece the eccentric and eerie Addams family using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester. However, the conniving crooks find themselves in over their head with a family too bizarre to be intimidated. In the hilarious sequel The Addams family attempts to rescue their beloved uncle Fester from his gold-digging new love. But that won’t be easy with a new baby in the house and the children away at summer camp. Halloweentown (PG) Thanks to a visit from Grandmother Aggie, Marnie and her family's tradition of ignoring the Halloween holiday are about to change in the extreme. It seems that Marnie's mother Gwen has been hiding a big secret from her three children--all of them possess supernatural powers. Children of the Corn (R) A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes everyone over the age of eighteen must be killed. A Stephen King classic. Pet Sematary (R) Louis and Rachel Creed and their two young children settle into a house that sits next door to a pet cemetery, built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Their mysterious new neighbor, Jud Crandall, hides the cemetery's darkest secret until a family tragedy brings the secret to life. Now, an unthinkable evil is about to be resurrected. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R) Fasten your garter belt for the time-warping, genderbending cult classic starring Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf! Stranded newlyweds soon find themselves in the company of a strange cast of characters in this twisted musical. The Shining (R) Jack Torrance is a writer who, along with his family, comes to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel. He is the off-season caretaker. Torrance has never been there before, but maybe he has. The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder. As Above So Below (R) Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the secret of what this city of the dead was meant to contain. A journey into madness and terror, it reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt everyone. Evil Dead II (Not Rated) The sole survivor of the evil dead returns to the same cabin in the woods and again unleashes the forces of the dead. Playing up the more comedic aspects of the series, Evil Dead 2 pits Ash against more ghosts and ghouls as he struggles to survive the night while keeping his sanity. Buckets of blood and laughs! How many on the list have you seen? What are some your favorite Halloween flicks? Let us know in the comments below!

It's that time of year! Time to talk about censorship and the books that have been banned or challenged the most over the last year. That's right - it's Banned Books Week! Why do we celebrate Banned Books Week? Because we believe in the freedom to read and to choose what you want to read. "But if a book is banned, isn't it bad?" Bad is such a subjective term, don't you think? What you and your family may not like, could be what another family loves to read. So whether you love Harry Potter or cannot stand it, that's okay! Those books will be freely available for those who do want to read and learn from them. History of Banned Books Week Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign held the last week of September. It began in 1982, when Judith Krug, library and First Amendment activist, was approached by the Association of American Publishers to bring awareness of banned and challenged books to the general public. Today, Banned Books Week is largely promoted by the American Library Association (ALA). This campaign examines both book (and library service) bans and challenges, which includes any public request for removal or reassignment of a book (or service), generally within a library setting. Amnesty International also celebrates Banned Books Week - specifically raising awareness for writers who have been persecuted or killed for their work. This organization provides updates for persecuted writers' cases in several different countries, especially those with high rates of censorship. You can read more about Banned Books Week in my post from 2019. Banned/Challenged Books of 2020 2020 was a rough year for all of us. Many libraries were closed to the public for at least part of the year (our library included). Even so, challenges to library books and services were received all over the US. Below is a look at the top 10 books that were challenged, along with reasons for the removal requests. Keep in mind that of the hundreds of reported challenges every year, there are hundreds more that go unreported. (It is estimated that 80-90% of challenges do not get reported to the ALA.) To find a larger list of challenged and banned books check out the ALA's frequently challenged book list. "The freedom to read is essential to our democracy." As I stated in my 2019 post, "We don’t have to agree about the appropriateness of a particular book, but I hope we can agree that each of us should be able to decide what is appropriate for ourselves." You can read the full Freedom to Read Statement from the American Library Association here. If you want to get involved with Banned Books Week - check out virtual events and ways to get involved on the Banned Books website. Take Our Banned Books Challenge For the entire month of September, we are challenging YOU to read a book that has been banned or challenged and tell us what you think. Should it have been banned or challenged? Why or why not? For each banned book you read fill out a form or tag us in a picture on Instagram for a chance to win some Banned Books swag! The last day to turn in your forms is Saturday, October 2. Happy reading!

There are few things worse than hearing about a book that really piques your interest and not being able to find it in the catalog. Often a Librarian will have the magic touch and locate it in our system, but sometimes our library and consortium members simply don’t carry it. Whether it’s due to rarity or age, some materials aren’t available locally. But wait! Before you visit a mega-online retailer to purchase that little gem let us borrow that book for you! With our Interlibrary Loan system, we can request books of all sorts from all around the country. I was browsing the world wide web the other day with the intent of finding a new book to read. I already have several books competing for my time, but interests shift occasionally and I find myself with too many books and too little time. I was thrilled to learn about “Tape Op: The Book About Creative Music Recording”, a collection of interviews and articles from the magazine of the same name. I immediately searched the library’s catalog but came up with nothing. Not being easily dissuaded, I tried to refine my search several times. No luck. But rather than admit defeat and resign myself to purchasing a book I wasn’t sure I’d want to own, I submitted an ILL request through the library’s website. So how does it all work you may be wondering? Once you place an ILL request either over the phone, through our website, or in person our staff searches a huge catalog called WorldCat to find a library that has what you’re looking for. WorldCat encompasses over fifteen thousand different libraries’ catalogs from around the world! If we can find a library that will lend it to us, we’ll lend it to you. My copy of “Tape Op” came from the Nashville Public Library. Pretty cool! There are a few important things to keep in mind when requesting items through ILL. In order to keep requests manageable patrons are only allowed to have three ILLs checked out to their account at a time. Additional requests will be waitlisted. Items released less than 1 year prior to your request cannot be fulfilled. Rather, we’ll place a purchase request to see if the item would be beneficial to our collection. DVDs, Blu-rays, Cassettes, VHS, and video games are not eligible for ILL. When you come to pick up your item it won’t be on the shelf with your regular holds but must be picked up from the circulation desk. Because an ILL is lent to us from another library, we need to coordinate with them on extending your checkout time if you require a renewal. This means you’ll need to notify us as early as possible if you would like a renewal. While we generally don’t charge late fines for our items, uncollected ILLs will incur a $5 fine to offset the shipping cost. So make sure that if you request it, you pick it up. Lastly, the little slip attached to the front of your item has our temporary barcode and other important information regarding your ILL. It’s important that the slip stays with the item when returned. You can find more information about our ILL policy and submit requests here. “Tape Op” was absolute fire. I loved the book and am considering purchasing both volumes so I can share them with friends. One last thing to keep in mind. Much like our own library system here in the Treasure Valley, no library can hold every book. Despite our staff's best efforts there are times we aren't able to procure what you're looking for. Have you used our ILL service? Any amazing reads you’ve been able to get or any far-out libraries you’ve seen items come from? Let us know in the comments.

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!