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March at Curry Public Library

Exploring Other Dimensions: Library Staff Book Recommendations – Part 1 of 3 - March 2022

During the past two years there is a good chance that you canceled your vacation plans, particularly if you planned to travel internationally. This has been the case for our library staff, and predictably we have tried to solve the problem through reading. Although reading has not eliminated our wanderlust, it has opened up new avenues for exploration that would not be possible with traditional travel. We have used books to travel to outer space, to historical events of the past, to fantastical worlds, and to secret archaeological digs. If you would like some guided reading in this vein, here is the first installment of our hand-selected recommendations for exploring other dimensions, which focuses on all things underground recommended by library director Jeremy Skinner. (Please note: book title headings link directly to our online catalog for easy browsing!)

UNDER JERUSALEM: THE BURIED HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST CONTESTED BOOK BY ANDREW LAWLER
Set mostly below the surface of the earth, Under Jerusalem is a brand new work of non-fiction. Much of the archaeological history of Jerusalem reads like an Indiana Jones script because Indiana Jones was based largely on stories of excavations around Jerusalem. This book features adventure, snake bites, and flamboyant archaeologists. It also has stories of hidden vaults filled with 2,000 years of sewage, and the specter of sacred objects (the ark of the covenant takes up quite a few pages). This might be the first book I have ever read that helped me really understand the complexities of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The conflict narrative is skillfully woven into each chapter. I investigated what it would cost to travel to the places described in this book, and discovered that most of them are not open to the public, so if you are interested in a free visit to some VIP archaeological digs, check out this book.

DROOD BY DAN SIMMONS
Another subterranean read that remains one of the strangest and most memorable books I have ever read is Drood by Dan Simmons. This book is based on events in the life of the author Charles Dickens. It is just close enough to being historically accurate that its fantastical aspects relayed by an unreliable narrator are extremely unsettling. This is not a book you should read if you are uncomfortable with darkness, but if you wish you had been alive to explore Victorian London and its underground opium dens, this book will be the best ticket to take you to that space.

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND BY CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓN
If you are a librarian who is fascinated by things underground, it makes sense that the perfect book might be one about a secret underground library used to keep books from being destroyed by an oppressive government. Fortunately, Carlos Ruiz Zafón wrote such a book, The Shadow of the Wind, and it is amazing. This work of fiction set in Spain after the Spanish Civil War has a historical element that comes to life by tapping into the psychology of the Spanish people and through vivid descriptions of Barcelona. This is the first of four books that revolve around the same characters. The setting of this book is so vivid, that I am convinced that I would be disappointed if I ever took a trip to Barcelona.

Post-Script
If you find yourself ready to take a deep dive into subterranean reading, I will offer up two suggestions for texts you will not find in the Coastline system. They are pretty obscure books, but I thought I would share.

The first book is: A Dweller on Two Planets by Phylos the Thibetan (a pseudonym for Frederick Oliver). This book, written in the 1860s tells the story of the lost civilization of Atlantis (which Oliver received via channeling), which features a gold miner named Walter Pierson, who traveled to the planet Venus (mentally), while his physical form remained at a temple deep inside Mount Shasta, described as being the home of a civilization of Lemurians. I am not making this up. You can read this for yourself via Google Books by clicking on this link.

The second even more obscure underground book is: The Earth Motor by C.E. Linton. This one is a collection of stories about a civilization located under Oregon's coastal Heceta Head. The residents are immortal and have a space boat to navigate underground and through outer space. This book is rare enough that it has not been fully digitized for online access. Here are some images from the book: If you find yourself really needing to read this one, let us know at the library. I may have some underground sources willing to share.

Stay tuned in April for recommendations from catalog librarian Jordan Popoff's literary adventuring in the earthly dimension. In May, programs librarian Rebecca Marcus will round out the series with some otherworldly reads.

PROGRAM POSTPONED! The Magic of Meal Prep will now be offered Thursday, April 7

Our Magic of Meal Prep program with Margie House has been postponed to Thursday, April 7 at 5:30pm. We apologize for the inconvenience. In place of the program on March 3, we will screen a food-related film from the screening service Kanopy.

Join Margie House from Oregon State University Extension Service for a free workshop on meal prep. Go home with inspiration, shopping lists, recipes, food safety tips, and more!

Description: Do you want to learn how to save time and money, reduce daily stress, and put your health first? Of course you do! But that sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? With a little planning and a few hours of prep, you can set yourself up for success. Join us for this free session to keep your body fueled with the nutrition it needs to keep up with the hustle of life… and have time and money to spare!

Facilitator: Margie House
Outreach Program Coordinator
Oregon State University Extension Service – Curry County
4-H Youth Development | Family & Community Health

Plant a Free Tree for Earth Day: Register by March 7th

We are celebrating Earth Day this spring by participating in the 13th Annual Neighborhood Forest free tree program, whose aim is to provide free trees to kids every Earth Day.

Since 2010, Neighborhood Forest has reached over 100,000 families and planted over 50,000 (mostly urban and residential) trees through the hands of children and parents across North America. We endorse this project and are excited to be participating in this wonderful program that teaches kids stewardship through the magic and wonder of planting and watching trees grow.

Please fill out the following online registration form by MARCH 7TH and receive a free tree (6-12 inches in size) during Earth Week (April 22-30). You also have the option to purchase additional trees (via the registration form) for friends and family members ($10 / tree). The purchase of trees will help fund free trees for more kids.

Trees will be delivered to us and we will arrange to get the trees in the hands of your children on or around Earth Day (April 22nd). Planting instructions and species information will be emailed a few days prior to the trees arriving.

https://www.neighborhoodforest.org/parent-registration/…

Read more about Neighborhood Forest here: https://www.neighborhoodforest.org/

The Secret Life of Sea Stars: A Talk by Nancy Treneman

A walk along a rocky beach doesn’t seem complete without the glimpse of beautiful purple and orange sea stars. Nancy Treneman of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology will be at the library on Thursday, March 10 at 5:30pm to tell us all about these interesting creatures. This program is free and open to the public.

Sea stars are curious beasts with arms radiating from a central disc, a bumpy and soft exterior, and hydraulic tube feet. You would never guess that these echinoderms are more closely related to humans than other invertebrates! Regardless of their lack of speed, they are serious predators. Many of our sea star species were hit with a wasting disease in 2014 that devastated their populations, a situation leading to dire consequences to the marine ecosystem. These spiny skinned animals play a key role in maintaining the rich diversity of life in the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest. Bring your curiosity to this presentation to explore what sea stars are and what they do.

Family Game Night

Families of middle and high schoolers are invited to join us for dinner and games Friday, March 11th at 6pm at Curry Public Library in Gold Beach. Dinner and childcare are provided. There will be door prizes and games to take home! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

For more information, contact Angie Milburn at 541-373-0300 or Charity Grover 541-266-3909.

This program is brought to you by the ASCEND After School Program, Curry Public Library, Pathways to Positive Parenting, and the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative.

Pat Renner to Give Art Talk: "Watercolor- My Path to Skills and Techniques"

Local artist Pat Renner will give a talk entitled Watercolor-My Path to Skills and Techniques on Saturday, March 12 at 2pm at Curry Public Library. Renner will discuss her work and show, Pat Renner: A Retrospective.

Pat Renner was raised in Portland and received a B.S. from Portland State University and a M.Ed. from the University of Oregon. Renner taught art in Milwaukie (Oregon), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Gold Beach, covering the elementary, secondary, and community college levels, in the span of 33 years. She was mainly a media specialist.

After retirement, Renner concentrated on watercolor explorations. At first, she painted landscapes and floral subjects. Later, she was wonderfully challenged when she joined Alexandra Eyer in a weekly figure drawing/painting session. Renner is a juried member of Watercolor West as well as a signature member of WSO, the Northwest Watercolor Society, and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies.

Pat Renner: A Retrospective will be on display January 4-March 31, 2022 on the second floor gallery at Curry Public Library.

Celtic, Folk, & World Music Concert: Four Shillings Short Returns to Curry Public Library

Crowd favorite Four Shillings Short will perform at Curry Public Library on Thursday, March 31 at 5:30pm. The concert is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register click here and complete the registration form.

Four Shillings Short are the duo of Aodh Og O’Tuama from Cork, Ireland, and Christy Martin from California. They are national touring artists who perform music from the Celtic lands, Medieval & Renaissance Europe, the Americas, and India on over 30 instruments including the Hammered & Mountain Dulcimers, Pennywhistles, Recorders, Medieval and Renaissance woodwinds, Mandolins, North Indian Sitar, Psaltery, Charango, Banjo, Guitar, Percussion, and vocals.

Four Shillings Short have been touring the US and Ireland since 1997, perform over 100 concerts a year, have produced 13 albums, and play at a variety of venues including festivals, performing arts centers, folk and music society sponsored concerts, house concerts, churches, libraries, and schools.

Tech Lab: Spring Programs Announced!

We are excited to announce a fresh new set of Spring programs offered by our tech lab, and we think this round of offerings may be the best yet! Create your own stickers with our vinyl cutter, learn the basics of Photoshop, get your phone ready for travel, make your own flyers in Canva, and more! Saturday is tech lab program day, so get ready to mark your calendar and visit this link here on our website for a complete list of tech programs and library hours from March-May. For more information on our upcoming programs in March, click on the links below:

Saturday, March 5: Laser Cutter Demonstration
Saturday, March 12: Intro to 3D Modeling with SketchUp
Saturday, March 19: Make Your Own Die Cut Stickers
Saturday, March 26: 3D Printer Demonstration

Please contact techlab@cplib.net with any question and visit the Tech Lab Webpage for full calendar of weekly programs, hours, and available equipment.

Curry Public Library Says Goodbye to a Friend

We write to share sad news with our larger library family. In early February, Jim Boyle, author and president of the Friends of the Curry Public Library, died. If you did not know Jim, you missed meeting a quiet and kind soul. He was a trivia master, he was a sports fan, he was an avid reader, he was a constructive critic, and he was a prolific writer. During the past three years, Jim served as president of the Friends of the Curry Public Library where he worked to find ways to support and improve library services. He believed in the power of books, as well as our larger mission of lifelong learning and community engagement. He showed his support through generously giving his time to library programs, fundraisers, and meetings. Jim was high on the list of patrons we looked forward to seeing each week and he is missed by many.

LIBRARY & LOBBY HOURS
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 12pm-5pm

SPRING BREAK LIMITED HOURS
Curry Public Library staff will be attending the Public Library Association conference in Portland. The library will have reduced hours during that time.
Tuesday, March 22 - Friday, March 25: Open 11am-5pm

The best way to stay up-to-date with Curry Public Library
is to follow us on Facebook.

COVID-19 UPDATES

Masks are required for all library visitors ages 5 and up until March 12. After that point, masks become optional but some library programs may still require masks. We maintain a no-contact shelf in the lobby where patrons can easily pick up requested items. All returned library items are cleaned before they are returned to the shelves.

Questions or ideas for how we can serve you?
Please call us at 541-247-7246 or email currylibrary@cplib.net

LIBRARY & LOBBY HOURS
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 12pm-5pm

FEBRUARY CLOSURES
President's Day: All day February 21st

The best way to stay up-to-date with Curry Public Library
is to follow us on Facebook.

COVID-19 UPDATES

Masks are required for all library visitors. Our main library area, lobby, and restrooms are open to patrons and cleaned regularly. We maintain a no-contact shelf in the lobby where patrons can easily pick up requested items. All returned library items are cleaned before they are returned to the shelves.

Questions or ideas for how we can serve you at this time?
Please call us at 541-247-7246.