Library News: April 25th, 2024

This week, the Marcellus Library is turning the spotlight on two adult nonfiction books.

Shop Class for Everyone: Practical Life Skills in 83 Projects: Plumbing, Wood & Metalwork, Electrical, Mechanical, and Domestic Repair by Sharon Bowers and David Bowers. There was a time when almost every high school offered Shop Class where students learned how to do stuff—use a circular saw or rewire a broken lamp. Besides the practical benefits, Shop Class students also discovered the satisfaction of being self-reliant and doing it themselves. This book-Shop Class for Everyone-offers anyone who missed this vital high school class a crash course in practical life skills. It's packed with illustrated step-by-step instructions, relevant charts, lists, and handy graphics that guide the reader through plastering a wall, building a bookcase from scratch, unclogging a drain, and changing a flat tire (bike or car). The plain, nontechnical language is perfect for any level of DIYer. Grab this book! No matter how simple the task, you'll find that doing it with your own two hands will give you a feeling of accomplishment that no app or device ever will.

Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How It Got That Way) by Rachel Slade. Making it in America introduces Ben and Whitney Waxman, two tireless idealists attempting to produce an American-made, union-made, all American-sourced sweatshirt (an American hoodie). Ben had spent a decade organizing workers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin, fighting for Americans at a time when the nation's support for unions was at an all time low.  He then landed back in his hometown of Portland, Maine, after struggling with depression and drug dependency.  Ben was desperate to prove that ethical manufacturing is possible. In Portland, he met Whitney, a bartender wrestling with her own complicated past, and in each other, they could see a better future and a version of the American dream they could build together. The book is a deeply personal account of one couple's quest to change the world. As they navigate their private struggles, international trade wars, and a global pandemic, their story carries us across the nation and across time. With them, the reader visits the cotton fields of Mississippi; New York City's hollowed-out garment district; a Los Angeles family-owned zipper company, and North Carolina's enormous knit-and-dye factories. They and we, the readers, grapple with what "Made in the USA" really means to Americans in the 21st century. This is a moving and eye-opening look at the story of manufacturing in America, whether it can ever successfully return to our shores, and why our nation depends on it. It also offers a unique look at global politics, economics, and labor through the story of textile manufacturing.

Upcoming events:

Mondays:

Yoga with Instructor Dave Sivley.  Mondays at 6PM, April 8th-May 20th.  Please bring a yoga mat, towel, water and $5 payable to Instructor Dave!

Wednesdays:

Preschool Story Hour, 10:15 AM.  Stories, music, movement & crafts for ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.

Game Night AND Movies & Popcorn, May 29th, the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM.  We'll have fresh popcorn and a movie during game night! All ages are welcome!

Sourdough for Beginners.  Learn the art of sourdough from expert Lindsey Morehouse of The Dough and More!  Wednesday, May 29th at 6PM.  Paid registration of $10 is required, and space is limited.  This workshop will cover the essentials and you'll leave with a starter of your own.

Thursdays:

First Thursday Book Club 2023, May 2nd, 2024, 12 NOON-1 PM.  Join others to chat about what you have been reading & to receive recommendations!

Fridays:

Lego at the Library, Fridays 3:00-4:30 PM. Build & create with our Lego & Duplo collections! All ages are invited!

Local Author Fair, May 3rd, 5-7:00 P.M.  Are you a local author?  Contact the library to reserve a spot at your local author fair.  Bring copies of your book(s) to sign and sell.  Meet and greet your fans and new readers. 

Saturdays:

Tech Time @ the Library, April 27th, from 10 AM to 1 PM. Drop in the library to ask Justin your IT related questions and learn to navigate your device or our computers!