by Public Service Associate & Content Coordinator Hannah
As the air cools, leaves turn, and the light changes, there’s nothing better than curling up with a good book and a warm beverage. Whether you’re a devoted tea connoisseur or a coffee aficionado, grab your favorite mug—we’re celebrating the bond between brews and books!
by Public Service Associate & Content Coordinator Hannah
How would you describe your library persona?
Are you a social butterfly? Popping by once a week (or more), you know staff members’ names, and we know what day/time it is based on your arrival. Perhaps you leisurely read the newspaper before catching up on book recommendations, or you relish receiving the latest program guide and eagerly register for events. I see you wearing a beloved Summer Community Read or brand new Centennial t-shirt telling everyone how much you love BPL.
by Public Service Associate & Creative Content Coordinator Hannah
Did you miss Preservation Week? Don’t worry, it will be here next year!
My bad jokes aside, preservation – an umbrella term for activities that reduce or prevent damage to extend the life of things – can easily slip one’s mind. But a recent trip to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Library of Congress thoroughly renewed my appreciation for preservationists and collecting institutions. In this BPL blog post, I hope to get you to think about, thank them, and as always share some great books.
by Public Services Associate & Creative Content Coordinator Hannah
Bexley Public Library’s Juliana invited fellow Patron Services Associate Hannah to consider her past, present and future reading journey.
by Public Service Associate Hannah
September is National Preparedness Month — a time to prepare for natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. As a library user*, this PSA gets me thinking of all the thrilling apocalypse-type plot lines and thought-provoking stories on our shelves. But Hannah, you say, very real water, fire, and wind cause devastation every day. Where’s the entertainment in that?! Well, without making light of very real situations, think of these books and movies like you would visiting a haunted house or riding a roller coaster. A part of you is scared, and in my case screaming regret, while another part of you knows this is a manageable way to experience hardship and fear in a safe environment. Studies have even shown natural disaster films might teach us to take climate emergencies more seriously while providing tips for how to act in similar circumstances. Plus, it’s cathartic and rewarding to root for a protagonist as they seek shelter and find hope.
Now set your solar flashlight out to charge as we dive into my disaster book and movie recommendations.
by Public Service Associate Hannah
When I say glasses, what comes to mind? The pair you place on your nose each morning? A pair of cheaters left behind at some restaurant? Or maybe a celebrity’s iconic look. As someone who has worn glasses since the fifth grade, with no interest in adding contact hygiene to my daily routine, glasses mean the world to me. They go hand in hand (eye in eye?) with my love of reading! So naturally, I decided to write a BPL Blog about glasses.
by Public Service Associate Hannah
Each year on January 1st, a collection of works loses its protected status and enters the public domain where anyone can legally use or reference them. This year, the year many works from 1927 concluded their copyright term, I decided to see what that even means. And it was more interesting than I expected!
by Public Service Associate Hannah
The advent of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable-type printing press in 1440 made the precise and rapid creation of print materials in large quantities possible. This led to waves of literacy across Europe and broke the monopoly the wealthy and elite held on books, news, and print entertainment. And hot off that press came the star of this blog post: magazines!
by Public Service Associate Hannah
Did you know that CD sales in the United States increased for the first time in almost two decades in 2021? Unfortunately, this Adele and Taylor Swift momentum stalled in 2022, going from 18.4 million to 17.7 million units and $204.3 million to $199.7 million dollars respectively. After all, compact discs have been said to be on their way out for some time now. Even my coworkers in acquisitions are weighing purchases vs borrows. This leads me to ask: will I see the death of the CD in my lifetime?
by Public Service Associate Hannah
“A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness, this unmistakable smell is as much a part of the book as its contents.”
~ Matija Strlic, lead scientist behind a 2009 study to find what is behind the smell of old books
It is once again Friends of the Bexley Public Library (FOL) book sale season! This twice-annual event sees the auditorium filled with neat rows of romance novels and science fiction, picture books, biographies, cookbooks, and more. So why would I, someone who already spends my days surrounded by audiobooks, music CDs, and titles that I can borrow for free, visit this facsimile of our book stacks? The allure of the unknown secondhand treasure of course!