Category Archives: Uncategorized

This year is the bicentenary of the birth of British author Charles Dickens, who was born on February 7, 1812. This landmark event has inspired the publication of a number of books on Dickens’ life and career. Here are a few that we own and recommend.

Claire Tomalin’s biography, Charles Dickens: a Life, was published last fall and received excellent reviews.   (B Dickens)

Becoming Dickens by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst tells the story of how an ambitious young Londoner became England’s greatest novelist.  (B Dickens)

The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens, edited by Jenny Hartley, is a collection of 450 letters that provide insight into Dickens’ life and career.  (823.8 DIC)

Finally, Dickens’s London by Peter Clark will take the armchair traveler to  the historical London neighborhoods and haunts that feature in Dickens’ works.

For more about Dickens and his work, check our online catalog, our biography and literary criticism resources, or just Ask Us!

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Looking for locally grown produce?  We’re fortunate to have a great selection of farmers markets in our area where you can find delicious produce and much more – including eggs, cheeses, meats and flowers.  It’s fun to meet the people that grow your food, and the ultimate way to support local businesses and get the best ingredients for your cooking.

Batavia Farmers Market is located on South Water Street between Wilson and First Streets in downtown Batavia.  Hours are 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, beginning June 16.
630-761-3528
downtownbatavia.com

Geneva Green Market  is located at 75 N. River Lane, Geneva.  Hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning June 7.
847-501-0430
genevagreenmarket.org

Geneva French Market is located at the Geneva Metra Station, South and Fourth Streets, Geneva.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
genevachamber.com

Heritage Prairie Farm is located at 2N308 Brundige Road, Elburn.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
heritageprairiefarm.com

St. Charles Farmers Market is located at the Baker Memorial Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Avenue, St. Charles.  Hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.
630-584-6680
bakermemorialchurch.org

South Elgin Farmers Market is located at 989 W. Spring St., South Elgin.  Hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, beginning June 6.
847-622-0003.
southelgin.com

Now that you’ve bought all that gorgeous food, wondering what’s for dinner? We have 1000′s of cookbooks, including titles devoted to local, farm fresh and organic food.

Just want to read about food? We have a booklist for that. And don’t forget to join Summer Reading, where Reading is SO Delicious!

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Want to know more about the bugs you find in your garden?   We have several books that can answer your questions.

Gardening with Good Bugs will help you tell the difference between bugs that are helpful to your garden’s health and those that are harmful.   There are many illustrations to help you recognize the most common bugs.   635.0497 HOD

Good Bug, Bad Bug not only helps you identify the most common and invasive insects in your garden, but it also provides the best organic advice on “how to attract the good guys and manage the bad guys – without reaching for the toxic chemicals.”   632.7 WAL

Garden Insects of North America is, as the subtitle indicates, “the ultimate guide to backyard bugs.”  This book has numerous color photos and informative descriptions.   635.0497 CRA

For additional titles on this topic check our online catalog or Ask Us!

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One of the most common directional questions we get (after the location of the restrooms) is, “Where is the Mezzanine?” Followed closely by, “Why do you call it that?”

Our mezzanine perfectly fits the first definition of mezzanine in the 4th edition of Cryil M. Harris’ Dictionary of Architecture and Construction:  “A low-ceilinged story or extensive balcony, usually constructed next or above the ground floor.”

Why don’t we just call it the second floor? Because Youth Services is on a lower level, we have to be sure to distinguish the mezzanine level from the ground floor. Also, it really is an “extensive balcony” which is open on one side to the floor below. Theater goers may be familiar with the use of the term to refer instead to the lowest balcony, or of a space under the stage used to lift scenery into place.

If you’d like to declaim from the mezzanine edge, Shakespeare’s plays, including Romeo & Juliet, are on that level for easy reference.

If you think mezzanine is a bit of an obscure term, be thankful that we didn’t use its synonym, “entresol.” You can learn even more architectural terms on our mezzanine by looking at the books shelved in the Dewey Decimal 720s.

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The Federal Citizen Information Center recently published the 2012 edition of The Consumer Action Handbook.

This guidebook provides consumers with information on a wide-ranging list of subjects including ATM/debit cards, buying a car, choosing a doctor, buying insurance, choosing Internet service providers, privacy protection, smart home shopping, and much more.

There are sections on filing a complaint, key information resources, and a consumer assistance directory.

The library has a copy of this handbook at the Reference Desk (Ready Ref 381.34 CON).  You may also download or order a free copy of your own!

The library has many resources to help consumers.  Check our online catalog or Ask Us!

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Want to help us celebrate? We have some ideas…

1. Name Drop:  If you enjoy the Library then why not mention us to your friends and neighbors?  We can send out newsletters and announcements, but YOUR endorsement is what really counts.

• Want to add a fun factoid?  Use the “value calculator” to determine just how much money using the Library has saved you
• “Like” us on Facebook
• Rate us Yelp!
• Follow us on Twitter

2. Go Surfing: Discover something new on our website.

• Try clicking on a page you haven’t visited before and find something fresh to explore. Check out Price It! , read our blogs, or see what we think is hot on your coffee break. We’re sure you’ll find something fun and useful!

3. Sit Down:  Attend a program! From story times to Sunday Concerts we have activities for every age on nearly every day.

• During National Library Week we are especially excited to be hosting bestselling author Alice Ozma who has written a heartwarming story about the power of parents and children reading aloud.

4. Tell Your Representative.  Funding for libraries is always precarious and we’d love it if you reminded elected officials of all the services the Library provides to the community, and the Library’s positive effect on you.

5. Take Us With You: Use your mobile access to keep in touch no matter where your day takes you!  Text a librarian, chat online, or use Shoutbomb to manage your account.  Downloadable collections of eBooks and music are available for your smart phone or other mobile device. And look for a new library app, coming soon. Put us in your pocket!

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