Library News

Homework Assignment

I have an assignment for the next two weeks: listen to some rock music and identify the accents in the guitar riffs. I’m sure it’s okay if I listen to blues, too, so I went on over to iTunes and found a few songs in various genres that I thought would be great. Thankfully, I remembered that we probably have some good stuff in our collection before I went hogwild with Leadbelly purchases. And there’s lots of other recordings of American roots music. Now to remember all this when I’m actually at the library. I’ve got lots of listening to do!

Shakespeare on the Common

Every summer the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company puts on a free performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays on the Boston Common. This year’s show, As You Like It, is currently being performed at the Parkman Bandstand on the Common. As You Like It is a comedy about love, loyalty and friendship. I had not previously read or seen this particular play but I very much enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. It’s playing now through Sunday August 3rd. So, if you like Shakespeare, or are just looking for something to do that won’t cost you anything, grab some friends and a picnic and head down to the Boston Common.

Is reading on the Web really reading?

Here I go again on the subject of the Internet and our changing reading habits. I just finished reading a New York Times article (yes, I read it online) (also, be warned, it’s LONG for a web article) focusing on children and teenagers and whether the reading they do on the Internet is as valuable for their intellectual development as reading books. It reports that the number of teens who read books for pleasure is down, according to surveys — but does that matter, if they are still reading for pleasure but now primarily from online sources? The article discusses both sides of the issue and doesn’t draw any conclusions one way or the other, but it’s interesting food for thought. Do you think kids get the same value from reading blogs, online fan fiction, and so on, as they do from reading novels or nonfiction books?

Eat Locally

One of my favorite trips in the summer months is to…Copley Square. You know how there’s a big library right there at the Green Line stop? Well, right across from it, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11am to 6pm, there is a farmers market. There are many farms represented here, all selling delicious locally grown produce (and some are certified organic). In addition to produce, you can shop for uh, pottery. You can get sammiches, pizza, and breads from Iggy’s Bread. Sometimes there is a stand for Equal Exchange coffee. The goat cheese picnic lunch guy is there. Stillman Farms is also there with their coolers of meats. You can buy pies, cookies, brownies, honey, flowers, herbs and nut breads. If you can’t make it to the one in Copley Square, try finding another one! And when you go, make sure to take plenty of cash.