Danbury Library Blog

- And no, it’s not Paul McCartney, but close. During a recent Roy Orbison Tribute Concert, the discovery of a new species of beetles was announced, and named Orectochilus orbisonorum, in honor of the late Roy Orbison and his widow, Barbara. The beetle, called the whirligig, is only about 5 millimeters long and its colorings give it an appearance of wearing a tuxedo. Reminisce and listen to this late, great, influential rock and roll legend with music from our collection, including The Essential Roy Orbison. Read Roy Orbison's biography in our database!

Posted by Merry at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You don't have to have a wine cellar to appreciate George Taber's "To Cork or Not to Cork" . The subtitle "Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle" says it all. On one side the 'cork' people are campaigning to keep the cork (which has been used for 400 years) in the bottle. On the other are the folks who believe a better seal (plastic) that eliminates the possibility of a tainted or "corked" bottle of wine is great progress. This is a very passionate, ongoing debate --major money and livelihoods are at stake. A real page-turner, full-bodied, rich in historical detail with more than a hint of scandal.

Posted by Mary at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A friend recently brought me a copy of A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor. This is the fifth book I have read by Fermor who is arguably the finest travel writer in English today. The book is the story of his time spent in three monasteries and his thoughts on monastic life & history. He has written two books about his pre World War II walk across Europe which have become classics of their kind. He also served in the British Army in the Second World War and was part of a partisan team which kidnapped the commanding German General on the island of Crete and brought him to Egypt for interrogation. He is a fascinating man and the subject of an excellent article from our magazine database: An Englishman Abroad. My friend also recommended an article in the current edition (January 17, 2008) about Fermor's monastic book in The New York Review of Books which we subscribe to at Danbury Library and which has articles by Updike, Garry Wills and Hilary Mantel. Happy Reading!

Posted by John O'Donnell at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The blunders are all there, waiting to be made.
Chess Grandmaster Savielly Grigorievitcyh Tartakower

With the passing of Bobby Fischer, chess is (briefly) again in the news. Fischer’s 1972 victory over Boris Spassky brought chess off the sidelines and into classrooms everywhere. An ersatz Cold War could be waged right there in 6th grade, wedged between chorus and recess. Danbury Library has many materials available if you’re interested in learning (or re-learning) the game of chess. For more about the players and the psychological aspects of the game, check out Searching for Bobby Fischer and King’s Gambit: A Son, A Father and the World’s Most Dangerous Game.

Posted by Andrea at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Approximately 660 people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest -- the first of these was New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary who completed his trek on May 29, 1953 with his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. For this Sir Edmund received his knighthood and worldwide recognition. Hillary,who died last week, also ventured to the South Pole, scaled Mount Herschel and formed a Himalayan Trust Fund to provide humanitarian aid which included the building of schools and hospitals for the Sherpas who have been essential to so many expeditions.

This extremely modest man, a beekeeper by profession, will be accorded a state funeral on January 22nd in his native New Zealand.

Posted by Mary at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Has the Writers Guild of America strike got you down? Have all of the new episodes of your favorite TV shows already aired? Well, the Danbury Library could erase your ennui quite easily. Stop in to browse through our collections of books, CDs, audiobooks and DVDs, or check out our newest additions online. We even have TV shows on DVD for those of you who simply need that type of fix. The public library is the ultimate source of entertainment for readers, listeners and viewers of all types and ages, so let the Danbury Library cure your WGA strike blues.

Fortunately for both our customers and staff, reference librarian John O'Donnell (see the library blog from December 21, 2007, "A Farewell & Season's Readings") is returning to the library staff on Monday, January 14. We're very happy to welcome John back to the Ask Me desk.

Posted by Mark at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you a pack rat? Are you convinced that grandma’s crystal punch bowl will bring in enough on eBay to put your kid through the Ivy League? The new year is a great time to organize your stuff, assess its worth, and dispose of (or store) it wisely. The library has the newest editions of many standard catalogs and evaluation resources: Scott (stamps); Blackbook (coins); Kovels’ and others (various antiques & collectibles). Book collectors should check out Your Old Books and the website of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, and some of the big commercial booksellers' sites (Advanced Book Exchange, alibris, Powell’s Books).

Posted by Andrea at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Keep the 'Happy" in your New Year going with The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want or Be Happy Without Being Perfect--just a couple of the new titles dealing with our relentless pursuit of happiness.

Those of you who think the whole happiness thing is overrated have Against Happiness: in Praise of Melancholy which poses the important question--who says we're supposed to be happy all the time?

Posted by Mary at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)