Categories
Booklists Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Books I’m Thankful For

by Public Service Associate Owen

I find Thanksgiving to be a wonderful holiday, where friends and family can gather with purpose to be thankful for each other and for what has gone well in their lives. This is the time of year where I am most attentive to what good is around me and what has shaped me as a person. This is especially true with books, which have had such a profound effect on how I was raised and how I view the world today. In this blog post, I will briefly elaborate some of the literary works that have had a substantial impact on my life. In doing so, I hope to both open your eyes to some of these monumental works, as well as to encourage you to reflect on some of the authors and books that have affected your life in a positive way.

Continue reading “Books I’m Thankful For”
Categories
Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Indigenous Heritage Month

by Public Service Associate Owen

November is National Indigenous Heritage Month, and as such it is an honor to use this space to feature some works of prolific indigenous authors. As Americans, it is of vital importance to recognize the peoples of this continent who were here prior to settlers and colonists. By highlighting some great works of indigenous authors, including the one book that brought indigenous literature into the mainstream, I hope to at least pay some respect to those whose voices were often silenced.

Continue reading “Indigenous Heritage Month”
Categories
Booklists Recommendations

Veterans Day Books for All Ages

by Adult Services Manager Whitney

As we honor all US military veterans this week, here are some books for all ages that explore the perspectives and challenges of the men and women who have served our country. Libby has also created a collection of over 160 titles curated by librarians on Military Memoirs and History.

Continue reading “Veterans Day Books for All Ages”
Categories
Bexley Writes Booklists

NaNoWriMo

by Public Service Associate Juliana

November is National Novel Writing Month!

“National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.”

https://nanowrimo.org/about-nano
Continue reading “NaNoWriMo”
Categories
Booklists Recommendations

The Perfect Autumn Read

by Public Service Associate Nichole

Whether autumn is your favorite season or not, I think we can all agree that it is by far the coziest season of them all. Rustling leaves, a hot drink, and a good book. Sounds pretty perfect, right? Be it a cozy mystery or a romance there is a book for every reader! Here are my recommendations to get you in the perfect autumnal mood:

Continue reading “The Perfect Autumn Read”
Categories
Booklists Recommendations

Cookbooks to Dine For!

by Public Service Associate Owen

October brings many wonderful things: the changing of the leaves, sweaters, football games on cool Friday nights, and many other wonderful aspects of autumn. It also features something else I find wonderful – it’s National Cookbook Month! As someone who is always looking for new recipes and creative ideas for cooking, I find cookbooks to be a great source of delicious inspiration. Our cookbook collection here at BPL is quite extensive, so whether you’re vegan, a budding grillmaster, gluten-free, looking to lose weight, or looking to wow the guests of your next dinner party, we have a cookbook for you! To celebrate our collection, I thought I would pick a few of my favorite cookbooks that we have here at BPL.

Continue reading “Cookbooks to Dine For!”
Categories
Booklists Recommendations

Spooky Reads

By Public Service Associate Hannah

Do you feel that chill in the air? Wrap yourself tight in a blanket, these book recommendations will give you goosebumps!

Continue reading “Spooky Reads”
Categories
Booklists Programs Recommendations

Protecting Our Freedom to Vote

by Public Service Associate Beth

Enshrined in the US Constitution, via the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments, all American citizens 18 years and older are given the right to vote (with some important exceptions across several states, specifically when it comes to individuals serving felony sentences, and those who have prior felony convictions). However, ordinary Americans, journalists, academics and organizations express concerns over recent national and state efforts that make it more difficult for Americans to access their right to vote.

Continue reading “Protecting Our Freedom to Vote”
Categories
Booklists Recommendations

Banned Books Week

by Public Service Associate Nichole

ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks attempts to ban or restrict access to books. More than 273 titles were challenged or banned in 2020, with increasing demands to remove books that address racism and racial justice or those that shared the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. As with previous years, LGBTQ+ content also dominated the list.

bannedbooksweek.org/ala-unveils-top-10-most-challenged-books-of-2020/
Continue reading “Banned Books Week”
Categories
Bexley History Programs

From Retail to Public Service The Madison’s

by Local History Librarian David

For over a century downtown Columbus was home to numerous clothing retail stores with a common story, they were founded by Jewish immigrants escaping the anti-Semitism of Europe. Simon Lazarus established the Lazarus Department Store in 1851, The Union was opened in 1891 by S. M. Levy, and The Fashion in 1924 by Allen Gundersheimer Sr. Then in 1930 Louis Madison, born in Russia in 1893 and immigrating to Albany, New York in 1903, opened Madison’s.

Continue reading “From Retail to Public Service The Madison’s”