library

The End For An Historic Library?

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Sometimes it takes the threat of an important part of life being taken away, to realize it exists in the first place. That’s how it felt when I googled The Mount Holly Library and Lyceum, and realized I was eligible to take out a card and borrow books. It’s open to all who live in Burlington County, NJ. At least for the moment. Because this historic body, the fifth oldest in the state, is threatened with closure in the New Year if funds are not forthcoming. The local newspaper, The Burlington County Times,  alerted residents to the possibility of closure by January 1 in today’s edition. Alicia McShulkis, vice president of the Mount Holly board of trustees said that unless someone has some ideas for funding, the library can no longer subsist. The director of the library, Michael Eck believes they have a small window still, and they wouldn’t close until “later in the year” but “without township support, we aren’t going to make it.”

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Tate So Called Publishing

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Are there many apple groves in the Caribbean?

So my mother is reading aloud from the local newspaper. Nothing new here. I get a rundown of obituaries and political letters daily. And sometimes, rarely, she reads something that actually may be of interest to me. This time it was about a local author signing a book somewhere at some time. A kid’s book; my mother thought it was fascinating because it’s about a trip to Cape May, NJ, long a favorite vacation spot for those living around here, and on the way they stop at Storybook Land, a nostalgic Mother Goose park that I love. Surprisingly, she was correct–I am interested. but not for the reason she thinks. I’m interested because it has become the practice of things called newspapers to print whenever a local ‘author’ is signing regardless if the writer is legitimately published or not. Self published authors are treated as equals to legit writers. Which irks the hell out of me. If all it takes is to write something, anything, print it out and contact the local library or B&N and they agree to an in-store signing, then, hell, let’s all do it. I’ve got two semi-written bad mysteries, and an even worse memoirist thing–if I pay someone to slap the stuff between two covers and bring a wheeled bag full of my literary gems, maybe I could be considered equal to Ernest Hemingway or the latest Booker Prize winner, whomever that may be.

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Banned Books Week’s Timeline Titles

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I never remember when Banned Books Week is scheduled. I stumbled about online, and luckily realized it was happening, now, this minute, until October 2. 2012. My fascination with the convoluted and off kilter reasons for parents, townspeople, and school boards’ objections to certain titles never wanes. How could it? Every year a new title that may have been published centuries ago, is being challenged by someone somewhere. The American Library Association in honor of 30 years devoted to pointing out threatened and banned titles, created a timeline of banned books–from the year Banned Books Week began, 1982, until this year. Some not yet read titles are familiar to me because of being challenged constantly by the ignorant. Other titles I’v’e never heard of. A great deal of them are juvenile or grade school level.

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