Reading for the Environment on Earth Day

The first time Earth Day was celebrated was on April 22, 1970; many people consider that day the birthday of the modern environmental movement. Since 1970, Earth Day has been an occasion for people to think about human impact on the planet and learn about conservation. For those who want to know more about climate change, learn about green practices, understand the effects of pollution, and more, the Worcester Public Library has many books that can help you get educated in true Earth Day tradition.

The list below has a few examples, but the library has many more that could satisfy your curiosity! To find more, search the catalog or ask a librarian for suggestions.

Nonfiction


Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, first published in 1962, awakened the public to the danger posed by pesticides like DDT. This book was one of the first to launch many people into deep awareness and concern for the environment.

Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, in which he presents evidence that global warming is already having serious effects, became quite famous partly because many readers found it accessible and even entertaining while still being informative.

Global warming may seem like a distant problem, but Colin Woodward's first-hand account, Ocean's End: Travels Through Endangered Seas, shows how it is having major effects in some regions. 













The American Southwest is a unique environment, with a relatively small water supply. William DeBuys presents an image of what it could be like in the future due to human overpopulation and overuse of resources in A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest.



Stephen Faris suggests that the effects of climate change wouldn't just be environmental - it could affect human health, politics, economies, and social customs - in Forecast: The Consequences of Climate Change, from the Amazon to the Arctic, from Darfur to Napa Valley.   

If climate change is a disease, William H. Calvin has a cure: he presents clean technology prescriptions in Global Fever: How to Treat Climate Change.

After learning about the dangers the planet faces, you may want to know what you can do to protect vital resources. For some ideas, check out The Water Book: A Users Guide to Understanding, Protecting, and Preserving Earth's Most Precious Resource.

If climate change is a disease, William H. Calvin has a cure: he presents clean technology prescriptions in Global Fever: How to Treat Climate Change.

For readers interested in knowing where air pollution comes from and what can be done about it, Dana Desonie's book, Atmosphere: Air Pollution and Its Effects, is informative.

Derrick Jensen and George Draffan show how deforestation has changed history and how it can again in Strangely Like War: The Global Assault on Forests.

Obtaining safe drinking water is a challenge for people all over the world.  Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt tell fascinating  stories of how people have done it in Blue Planet Run: The Race to Provide Safe Drinking Water to the World.

2013 Book Club Picks

Have you been wishing you could converse with friends about the fascinating books you're reading? Joining a book club is a great way to explore the themes and personalities you encounter in a great book. The WPL Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 o'clock in the 3rd floor ellipse. Anyone is welcome to join us. Come to one meeting or come to all of them! In 2013 we're trying out different genres and styles. So far we've read Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Ayana Mathis's The Twelve Tribes of Hattie.

Check out the books we'll be reading for each month this year:

March

Hilary Mantel's Man Booker Prize-winning novel Wolf Hall brings the court the English King Henry VIII alive. She tells the story of the intrigue, politics, and religious turmoil of this Tudor king's reign from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, a minister to the king. Henry VIII is famous for his part in separating England from the Catholic church in the English Reformation and for his six marriages. As we read about Cromwell's machinations, we can imagine what it must have been like to be a 16th-century Englishman or -woman.




April

Massachusetts author Anita Shreve is a master at evoking New England culture and atmosphere. In The Weight of Water, a journalist delves deep into the mystery surrounding a nineteenth-century murder, while the bonds of her own family are strained during their stay on the island of Smuttynose, off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, where the murder took place.







May

We'll jump into science fiction with a novel that won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. In Blackout, characters travel back in time from the Oxford of the year 2060 to the England of World War II, where and when they face air raids and other hazards of wartime. The time travelers started out as historians on fact-finding missions, but they soon find themselves questioning their own rightful places in history.






June

Many readers know Joan Didion for her recent memoirs, The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights, but she earned acclaim partly for nonfiction essays like those in this volume. We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order to Live is a collection containing the essays that originally comprised her first seven nonfiction volumes. These essays reflect Didion's travels and reporting, examining American cultural life across several decades starting in the '60s. Check back with us in June to see which essays to concentrate on for the meeting.





July

Summer is a great time to sample some short stories, and in July we'll revisit fairy tales that may seem familiar - except that those in Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears are retold with a twist. Dragons, Sleeping Beauty, witches, and more fantastical beings appear in this collection. The way these authors interpret the old stories may surprise you. Check back with us in July to see which stories to concentrate on for the meeting.







August

A widely admired Canadian writer, Alice Munro is known for tales that evoke rural, small-town life, often in southern Ontario. The stories in Dear Life feature women who feel trapped and conflicted, men who grieve or feel driven to dominate. Munro's characters are in the midst of the small-scale action of their lives or the brink of a decision that will change everything. Check back with us in August to see which stories to concentrate on for the meeting.






September

Marie Arana grew up straddling two cultures. In American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood, she tells the story of her family: her father, descended from Peruvian aristocrats who works as an engineer, and her mother, a product of the American west who can ride horses and play the violin. At times their marriage seems like a tug-of-war between two identities; Arana's book tells of her journey to find herself.






October

Originally published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is considered a progenitor of the modern horror genre. The book has the classic elements: a haunted house with a past, a group of people staying in the house who find themselves terrorized, a young woman who may be possessed. October is prime time to be unnerved.







November

In November we celebrate Veteran's Day, so it's a good time to read Tim O'Brien's collection of stories of men in a Vietnam War platoon, The Things They Carried.  These soldiers went from an America that gave them little choice about participating in the war to a Vietnam where one could never tell where an enemy might be. O'Brien makes readers see the blood and gore of wartime - and its at-times viscous unreality.






December
The book club will take a break during December. Enjoy the holidays!

Ready to get started? Place holds through the C/W MARS catalog. Remember, if the WPL doesn't have enough copies of a book, you can always request a copy from another library in our system by placing a hold.

You can find book reviews and links to other helpful resources if you join our book club online, on Goodreads.

You can RSVP to the meetings on our event calendar, but feel free to attend even if you don't RSVP. We look forward to seeing you at the meetings!

WPL hosts Technology Open House to Promote Digital Literacy on March 21

Worcester Public Library to Host: Computer and Technology Open House:

 “Learn How to Do One Thing Better Online”

Worcester, MA- March 12, 2013: The Worcester Public Library has joined forces with the national public service Connect2Compete campaign, “Everyone On” to promote the importance of digital literacy skills. Library event launch will take place on Thursday, March 21 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. with a “Computer and Technology Open House” at the Main library. Event is free and open to the public. 

Open Lab: Those who are interested in learning how to do “one thing better online” will have access to one-on-one assistance with a librarian in the computer lab. Learning topics include: setting up email, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, resume writing, job application, Microsoft Word and more. 

 Technology Petting Zoo: Patrons are encouraged to stop in to explore various digital devices, ereaders, tablets, etc. and also to bring in their own devices to ask questions.

 The key message of “Everyone On” campaign is to encourage people who are limited or non-Internet users, to learn how to do “one thing better online”. Public libraries are integral to the success of this effort because of their demonstrated commitment to providing free access to the Internet as well as access to technology and training.

In partnership with the Ad Council, “Everyone On” is powered by Connect2Compete, a national nonprofit organization bringing together leaders from communities, the private sector, and leading foundations.
 

Planning and Running a Book Club

Participating in a book club can be a great way to enrich your reading experience. Discussions with fellow readers lead us to understand books in new ways and make connections between literature and our own lives. Often, we build great friendships with other book club members too.

To get the most out of the book club experience, it helps to put a little planning into it ahead of time. There are a lot of things to think about, but doing so will ensure that your club members have a satisfying experience that makes them look forward to each meeting.

Here are some things you'll want to consider:

• Choice of book: The fun novel that helps you unwind after work or that you take to the beach may not be meaty enough for an engaging book club discussion. You may want to choose a book with complicated characters, ethical dilemmas, or social issues so that you can have a lively conversation.
• How the talk will flow: To keep people coming back for more, you want your club's participants to feel free to discuss controversial issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Depending on your club's members, you may want to set ground rules so that everyone gets a chance to speak. Every book club is different; some like to have a free-flowing discussion and others structure the conversation around a set of reflection questions.
• Venue and meeting frequency: Making sure everyone is on the same page about club logistics will help prevent scheduling conflicts. Do you want to meet at someone's home? If so, will that person furnish snacks or will the meeting be a potluck? Or, will you meet at a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or the library? Who will be responsible for making these choices and communicating them to the other members?

Getting a successful book club going and keeping it going can be a challenge, but luckily there are plenty of resources to help you at every step of the way.

Websites

“Starting a Book Club,” from ilovelibraries.org.  This site has many suggestions and links to other helpful resources.

“Ten Tips for Starting and Running a Successful Book Club,” by Rachel Jacobsohn

“Starting and Running a Book Club,” from Book-Clubs-Resource.com

Reading Group Guides has suggested discussion questions for many books available

LitLovers is a website with tips on running meetings, leading discussions, and more.  There are also reading guides for many books with suggested discussion questions.

Find more reading-related links on the Books and Publishers page of our website.
Books
The reading group handbook : everything you need to know, from choosing members to leading discussions Rachel W. Jacobsohn (WPL Call Number: 374.22 J17r)

The complete idiot's guide to starting a reading group byPatrick Sauer. (WPL Call Number: 374.22 S255c)

What to read : the essential guide for reading group members and other book lovers Mickey Pearlman. (WPL Call Number: 011.7 P359w.  There is also a revised and updated 1999 edition available by placing a hold through the C/W MARS catalog.)

Running book discussion groups : a how-to-do-it manual Lauren Zina John. (WPL Call Number: REF 374.22 JOHN)

The New York Public Library guide to reading groups Rollene Saal. (WPL Call Number: REF 374.22 SAAL)

Good books lately : the one-stop resource for book groups and other greedy readers Ellen Moore and Kira Stevens. (Available by placing a hold through the C/W MARS catalog.)

The book group book : a thoughtful guide to forming and enjoying a stimulating book discussion group Edited by Ellen Slezak ; foreword by Margaret Atwood. (Available by placing a hold through the C/W MARS catalog.)

You can always ask a librarian at the Worcester Public Library for help with choosing a book for your club to read. We can point you to some websites and other resources to help you channel your interests into a book club pick. Have a fruitful - and fun - conversation!

Adult Book Club February Pick: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Did you know that approximately 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North and West in the years between 1916 and 1970? This period in American history is known as the Great Migration, and it serves as the backdrop of a new novel by first-time novelist Ayana Mathis, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. The titular character of Mathis's novel moves from rural Georgia to Philadelphia in the 1920's; the book follows her struggle to chase the American dream in the urban, industrial north. Oprah has selected the book for Oprah's Book Club 2.0, and the library has chosen it for our February book discussion.

Join us in the Main Library on February 19th at 7 PM in the 3rd floor ellipse for a conversation about the book. We appreciate it if you RSVP through our event calendar, but RSVPs are not required.

You can also join the discussion on Goodreads, where we'll post links to related resources you can use to learn more about the historical context of the book.

To reserve a copy of the book, place a hold in the catalog.  If you use an e-reader like a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, you can download the book from Overdrive.  You can also download an audiobook version.

We hope you'll join us on the 19th! Discussing this book will be a fun way to celebrate Black History Month.

Free AARP Income Tax Preparation at the Library

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$$$    AARP Tax Help Program    $$$

Free income tax preparation

for low-income individuals and households (* see restrictions below)

Worcester Public Library

3 Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608

www.worcpublib.org

Saturday mornings, February 2 to April 13, 2013

To make an appointment:

·       By phone:  508-799-1655 option 3  (reference)

·       In person:  Library’s reference desk on 2^nd floor (see below for library hours)

Appointments are highly recommended.   You may walk in without an appointment, Saturdays between 9:00am and noon.  However, you may need to wait a long time, or even come back another time, if you do not have an appointment.

* Restrictions:  The AARP Tax Program is a free service for low income taxpayers with simple tax returns only.  We cannot prepare your tax return if you have:

·       Higher income (more than $50,000 if single, $65,000 if head of household, $80,000 if married)

·       Rental income (Schedule E)

·       Complex self-employment income (Schedule C)

·       More than 12 Schedule D transactions (sale of bonds and stocks)

·       Other complex tax situations. We can determine whether we are qualified to prepare your return when you come in at your scheduled appointment time.

Other places to get tax help or referrals if you meet the qualifications for receiving help through their service:

·       Main South Community Development Corporation:  508-752-6181

·       Plumley Village/Community Builders:   508-770-0508 (Spanish 831-9835)

·       Worcester Community Action Council, Inc.:  508-754-1176 ext 124

·       Worcester State College:   508-929-8424 or 8635

·       Worcester Senior Center:   508-799-1232

Please cancel your appointment if you cannot make it.

To cancel, call 508-799-1655 option 3.

We will not serve you if you miss an appointment without cancelling.

Where to go for your appointment

In the main Worcester library, go to the periodicals section on the 3^rd floor. 

See the AARP tax help receptionist in the waiting area located at two long tables.

What to bring to your appointment

1.    Photo ID

2.    Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone on the return. Actual social security cards are best if you have them.

3.    Tax documents for all 2011 income, including whichever of these apply to you:

a.    Earned Income (W-2)

b.    Social Security Income (SSA-1099)

c.     Pension/Retirement Income (1099-R)

d.    Unemployment Income (1099-G)

e.    Nonemployee Compensation (1099-MISC)

f.     Gambling Income (W-2G)

g.    Interest Income (1099-INT)

4.    A copy of last year’s tax returns, Federal and State, if available.

5.    Health Insurance Statement (1099-HC)  If you can’t find the form your health insurance provider mailed to you, bring all health insurance cards.

6.    A blank check for us to see, so you can have direct deposit of your refund (recommended).

7.    If you rent, the amount you paid for rent of your primary residence.

8.    If you own your home, bring your Mortgage Interest Statement (Form 1098) and the amounts you actually paid during 2011 for real estate taxes.

9.    If you pay child care expenses, bring receipt showing the name, address, and social security number of the care giver and the amount paid.

10. If you are a senior citizen claiming the Circuit Breaker Credit for Massachusetts, bring the name and address of the landlord if you rent, or real estate taxes actually paid during 2011 and separate amounts paid for water and sewer if you own your home.

11. Any education payments including student loan interest, tuition, and scholarship amounts.

Learn How to Place a Hold in the Library Catalog

Did you know that you can request that the library reserve an item for you right from your own computer at home?  You can do this with our books, DVDs, and CDs - anything you can borrow from the library.  There are several situations in which you might want to do this:

• The item you want has been checked out by someone else and you want to get in line to borrow it next
• You can't come in to the library for a few days, and you want to make sure the item you want will be available for you when you do come
• Another library owns something you want and you'd like to pick up in Worcester

In all of these situations, you can place your request by placing a hold in the library catalog.  Here's how to do it:

Go to the library homepage, at http://www.worcpublib.org/index.htm.  Click on ‘Search Catalog.’  

In the Formats field, select Books (or another media type) from the dropdown menu.

If you know it, type the title of the item.  If you don’t know the title, you can search by author or keyword.

Select ‘Title’ from the next dropdown menu (or author or keyword, if you are not searching for the specific title).

Expand your search to include all of the libraries in our system by choosing ‘All C/W MARS Libraries’ from the next dropdown.

Hit the ENTER key or click on the Search button.

When you find the item you are looking for in the search results, click on ‘Place Hold’ on the right side of the screen.

Login to your library account by typing your library card number into the Username field and your password into the password field (if you are not sure what your password is, try your last name in all capital letters or the last four digits of your phone number.  If neither of those works, come into the library with a photo ID to get your password reset).

Choose the library where you want to pick up the item (you can choose any library in the C/W MARS system).  Then click on the Submit button to make your hold request.

Next, you’ll see a screen that says “Hold was successfully placed.”  This means that your hold has been submitted.  You can click on ‘Continue’ to go back to your search results.

Your hold has been placed!  Now just wait to receive an email or phone call telling you that your item is ready to be picked up.

Things to know about placing holds:

• When the item you’ve requested is available for you to pickup, a library staff member will notify you.  You can receive your notifications by phone or email, depending on your preference.

• To receive your hold notifications, you must keep your contact information in your account current.  If your email address or phone number changes, call or visit your local library.

• Once the item you requested is available, you have seven days to pick it up.  After that, it will be returned to the collection for another patron to borrow.

• It may take two weeks (or longer for very popular items) to fill your hold request.

Call, email or text a librarian with any questions.

Main Library Adult Book Club

Have you read a great book recently and wished you had someone to talk it over with? 

 If so, the WPL Adult Book Club is for you.  We’ll be discussing notable works of modern literature.  All adults are welcome to attend monthly meetings, even if you haven’t finished the book.  Registration through our events calendar is recommended, but not required.  You can also join the discussion, learn more about the books we'll be reading, and find out about future meetings on Goodreads.

On Tuesday, January 22, 2013, we’ll be discussing The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, by Michael Chabon.  The book follows two Jewish cousins as they enter the burgeoning comic books industry in World War II-era New York City. Follow their triumphs and travails as they attempt to solidify their personal and professional identities in the Golden Age of Comics. The book has been called an epic, exhilarating adventure tale that captures the fast-paced mood of a bygone America.

Readers can request a copy of the book by placing a hold through the C/W MARS catalog. You can also request a copy through Overdrive to read on your e-reader device.

Please join us on the 22nd at 7 p.m. in the Saxe Room. Book club participants are welcome to bring snacks or beverages to enjoy while discussing the book. We look forward to seeing you then!

Ask a librarian if you have any questions.

Morningstar Available for WPL Card Holders at Home!

Starting January 1st, 2013, Morningstar Investment Research Center is now available for WPL card holders at home.

The Morningstar research center is provided by the Library in place of the printed format of Morningstar mutual funds commentaries, which will no longer be published after December 31, 2012. Morningstar Investment Research Center is an excellent resource for those planning to do research on Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Industries and more.

It will help individual investors:

•  review analyses of over 41,000 investments, 
• get reliable portfolio analysis, learn about investment options, and 
• read up on the most up-to-date financial news commentary, 
• watch videos on investing and personal finance. 
• There are also portfolio analysis tools and savings calculators accessible on the site.

For new investors, Morningstar Investment Research Center includes a good deal of on-board training for you. You will find the following features under the Help & Education tab:

• Investing and Specialized Centers in PDF format that show you how invest. 
• Users Guide and Quick Guide in PDF format—just download and print. 
• Investing Classroom with 200 interactive classes on how to evaluate stocks and mutual funds.
• A comprehensive glossary of investment terms that appear in Morningstar Investment Research Center

To access:
1. Go to www.worcpublib.org
2.  Click Online Databases in the left column
3. Select Business and Finance
4. Click on the house icon next to Morningstar Investment Research if you are at home
5. You need to type in your library card number to log in

Need to get a library card? Click here to get one.

If you have any questions, please ask a librarian at http://www.worcpublib.org/services/asklibrarian.htm