In the spring I wrote about some dream food scenarios to enjoy the fine weather; now that we’re into the colder seasons, I begin to fully commit to my bread […]
Tastes of the season
from the archive
Author: Nora Walsh
Nora, an Adult Services Librarian at PPL, loves fantasy and speculative fiction, old movies, 19th-century British literature, memoir, and the occasional work of contemporary fiction.
Library resources for small businesses
If you’re a small business owner, are self-employed, or have a side gig, then you know that every little bit of support helps. The library has an array of tools that […]
New to you
Working on the library’s service desks, I see plenty of people who are very aware of new and forthcoming books, particularly fiction, and add their names to multiple hold lists […]
Sharing for the summer
Summer can be a glorious opportunity to indulge in some quality reading time. If you’re lucky enough to go on vacation, packing an unwieldy pile of books (or a fully […]
A meal to build a dream on
I am a natural introvert, and I honestly don’t cook very much on normal days; still, sometimes I dream of lavish dinner parties, themed summertime cocktail gatherings, tea parties, and […]
Connect and enjoy
The library’s mission is to engage, inspire, educate and unite everyone in our diverse community. We want to help you learn, work, and be entertained through all of our resources: […]
Five on a theme: the choices we make
I had a conversation recently with some of my colleagues about our college experiences, sharing how our initial plans for majors and careers changed in the realities of adult life, […]
Paying attention
I’m currently listening to the audiobook of John Green’s rather delightful The Anthropocene Reviewed, in which he reviews and rates aspects of our human experience, from our capacity for wonder, […]
Bookish playlists: the soundtracks of your reading life
In my younger days, there was a vibrant trend on YouTube for fans of TV series or films to create video compilations of their favorite clips, especially featuring either canonical […]
Change your view this summer
As easily as a song can get stuck in your head, so can a story. Whether it’s a book, series, film, or something else, you’ll find yourself continuously thinking about […]
Navigating your year of reading
When planning library programs or book lists throughout the year, our staff takes into consideration heritage months, or other national or state recognitions. For example, celebrating Women’s History Month is […]
Make a change with the cottage spirit
Trends, styles, and aesthetics come and go over the years, and most of us grab bits and pieces of them to build something of our own. One trend that gained […]
Your own year’s best
The end of every year usually brings all sorts of wrap-up lists: “best of” collections of everything from cookware and electronics to music and YouTube makeup artists. At the library, […]
Bridging the past, present, and future
My grandfather’s cousin Jack was incredibly focused when it came to genealogy. Working in the pre-internet days, he traveled, called, wrote letters, and faxed to dig up records from the […]
Reading the world
The Christmas when I was 12, my uncle gave my mother the audiobook tapes of “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt as a gift in our family exchange. She may have […]
Job seeking tools for uncertain times
Looking for a new job, or thinking about a career change, can be both exciting and terrifying. About three and a half years ago, I was in the middle of […]
Making the most of our digital collections
It’s clear that one of the things that keeps us connected in this time of quarantine and distancing is our love of, and reliance on, stories. It’s often books, but […]
Let’s talk about books
Last week, the library hosted its version of Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic holiday tradition that includes exchanging books and drinking cocoa. Several staff members, including myself, picked a few of the […]
Every two minutes
Every two minutes, someone is forcibly displaced. This staggering statistic was shared by husband and wife photojournalist team Daniel Farber Huang and Theresa Menders during the Sept. 22 discussion of […]
Old school/new school
In the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail,” Tom Hanks’ character tells his anonymous online penpal, played by Meg Ryan, “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me […]
Testing the waters
Our Summer Reading program for adults has begun! This year, we’re challenging you to read in a variety of genres and formats. Most readers already know what they like, and […]
Another kind of storytime
This won’t surprise you, but we’re big into storytelling at the library. I presume that, by now, you’ve noticed the books, but we also share stories through our film and […]
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