Danbury Library Blog

Ever consider hiring on as a 'praepositus camelorum'? Probably not. This and other positions of ancient times are examined in Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World. Well-researched and often hilarious look at the duties involved in being a fishmonger, vestal virgin, curse-tablet maker to name a few. In case you're wondering-the praepositus camilorum position involves the tracking, capturing and supplying of ferocious beasts to gladiator events and circuses. Those of you who wish you could have taken on one of these positions--keep in mind the benefits probably did not outweigh the risks.

Posted by Mary at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Long hot summer days are perfect for delving into biographies that we have long intended to read. I am a particular fan of biographies and think that one of the greatest I have read is R. E. Lee by Douglas Southall Freeman. It is a large undertaking (four volumes) but well worth your time and effort. The entire book is available online by clicking on the link above. The last chapter is just an outstanding piece of writing.
Mr. Freeman was a newpaper editor in Richmond who also had a doctorate in history. His daily schedule included rising at 3am every day and working as an editor of a newspaper, doing radio broadcasts and then using the rest of his day to work on his historical projects which also included a 7 volume bio of George Washington. Brevity was not one of his attributes. Let us know what your favorite biography is by using the comment feature.

Posted by John O'Donnell at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

All of the hoopla surrounding the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows inspired me to pull out some of my favorite books of childhood: Black Beauty, A Wrinkle in Time, Little Women. But my copies of some of these classics are starting to show significant wear and tear. Where to turn? The Library of Congress website has lots of information about preserving and storing all kinds of treasured items: books, photographs, newspaper clippings, etc. There are tips for cleaning and recovery of documents damaged by water, mold, smoke and other contaminants, and resources for finding a professional conservator. More preservation advice is available through the Northeast Document Conservation Center.

Posted by Andrea at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting on July 16 and lasting at least through the rest of the summer, we're offering a new collection of DVD's that will cheer the hearts -- and eyes -- of movie lovers. Made possible by funds from the FRIENDS of the Danbury Library, our new collection of 1-day, or express, DVD's consists of multiple copies of recently released and hot titles, such as "The Queen," "Apocalypto" and "Dreamgirls." As is the case with our new 7-day books, the 1-day DVD's can't be reserved, which ensures that there should usually be some brand-new DVD's for you to check out. There's a limit of one 1-day DVD per card, but you can still take out 4 of the other DVD's from the Audio-Video collection on the Lower Level. The DVD's are due back by the end of the following day, and the overdue fee is $1.00 per day. This new express DVD collection is located to the left of the Lending Services desk, so be sure to check it out if you're anxious to see a hot new movie on a hot summer night.

Posted by Mark at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thought I'd take the opportunity to list a few of my favorite books/authors:

The Autobiography of Malcom X--I first read this at about age 14. It has had a profound and lasting influence. Confirmed my belief that books can change a life as Malcolm X discovered.

Love in the Time of Cholera--masterpiece from Gabriel Garcia Marquez explores the nature of love in a marriage spanning 50 years. Exquisite.

Books by author Ken Bruen. Called the "Celtic Dashiell Hammett", mystery writer Bruen's books are very dark and brooding with a dose of black humor. If you like a very intelligent mystery laced with many literary references, try this 'Irish Noir". Not for the faint hearted.

Posted by Mary at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week while working on the Reference desk I received a call about the Fairfield County Courthouse at 71 Main Street. The caller had noticed that on the cornerstone was the number 5899. The caller wanted to know the meaning of this number.

My first thought was that it might be a date from the Hebrew calendar but the caller had already investigated that possibility and it did not apply. I did some searching on courthouses in Connecticut but could find no leads. I then switched to searching courthouse cornerstones and found a photograph from a New York State courthouse that had the same number on it. When I looked at more details about the photograph it listed the initials A. L. with the number. I then searched for the meaning of the abbreviations for A. L. (which were quite lengthy) and found that the meaning that applied here was Anno Lucis which is Latin for Year of Light. This is the calendar system for the Masons. This calendar system counts years from 4000 B.C. To convert a modern date to A.L. simply add 4,000 to the year from the A. D. (Anno Domini) system. So we take 1899 (year of construction of the courthouse)and add 4,000 and come up with 5899.

Posted by John O'Donnell at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The New York Times made it official this weekend: librarians are cool. In A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, the Times points out that library work is not just about books anymore, but “also about organizing and connecting people with information,” in a “stable and intellectually stimulating” job environment, involving all manner of new, cutting-edge technology. Interested? Go to the Education & Careers section of the American Library Association’s website for more information about becoming a librarian (or guybrarian!).

Posted by Andrea at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the past year, the FRIENDS of the Danbury Library funded the service that allowed library customers to download unabridged audiobooks onto their computers and MP3 players. Based on the high cost and disappointingly low use of this service, however, we reluctantly decided to end this experiment as of July 1. Even tech-savvy customers reported that the download experience was not very user-friendly. Another big problem is that 90% of MP3 players in the U.S. are iPods, and the Recorded Books/Net Library product was not compatible with iPods due to Apple's proprietary software.

However, the FRIENDS have already agreed to fund a new audiobook format (in addition to the existing CD and cassette formats already in our AV collection) called Playaways. A Playaway is an MP3 player that comes with an unabridged audiobook already downloaded on it, and the controls couldn't be easier to use. We expect the first 50+ Playaway titles to be available in September, so look for news here, on the library's web site, and in our newsletter.

Posted by Mark at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be alerted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.

Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be al

erted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be alerted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be alerted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be alerted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.Each month Danbury Library publishes a list of selected new books that are due for publication in coming months. To reserve your copy, click on the title of the book and then "place hold" in the catalog. To be alerted to new lists, subscribe to our Hot Off the Press e-list.

Posted by Fredi at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Fourth of July or Independence Day is the only holiday we have to honor our country.

We wouldn't be watching fireworks and downing hotdogs on this day were it not for our founding fathers. If you’ve not done so, now is a good time to read John Adams by David McCullough. This acclaimed biography of our second president shows Adams to be a “truly heroic figure”.

Our third president,Thomas Jefferson, sometimes called John Adams' alter ego, is brought to life in Christopher Hitchens’ Thomas Jefferson: Author of America. He was a visionary as well as a man of many passions which the forthcoming book Mr. Jefferson's Women will explore.

Here’s some presidential trivia: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.

Posted by Mary at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)