At the New Darien Library, we’re making big progress on the second floor! The nonfiction is in and it’s arranged to make browsing the stacks easier. We’ve taken the dear old Dewey Decimal System and remixed it.

While the Dewey Decimal System is subject based, it was originally developed in 1876 and we found that many modern subject areas were split between two or more Dewey areas. This reorganization makes the books easy to browse and brings together similar subject areas. Here’s how we’ve grouped the books on the second floor:

Body & Soul is where you’ll find books on religion, philosophy, self-help and health.

Over in Nature are all the books on science, math and animals.

Home has the books on hobbies, crafts, decorating, cooking and gardening.

Places is for the globetrotters among us- travel books, phrase books and travel writing.

Work is all business. Books on finance, accounting, marketing, college admissions, test preparation and the economy are here.

Come and Play, where you’ll see books on sports, cars and recreation.

Life and Times is the largest group with history, memoir and biography.

The lovely Art and Literature has beautiful art books, literature, and writing.

We’ve had a lot of fun reorganizing the collection to make it easier for our members to find what they’re looking for. Upstairs, you can browse your favorite subject area, try out our comfy chairs and bring your research questions to our roving librarians. The second floor is also the home of the Classics room, a book-lined escape into great literature.

On January 10th, come upstairs and enjoy the beautiful, sun-filled rooms of the second floor. We can’t wait to see you!

Our reorganization cheat sheet!

 

I was totally expecting to be disappointed in Burn After Reading, the latest release from the minds of the Coen brothers. I've been a fan since Fargo and I worried that this was one of those ego-stroking films made for the delight and entertainment of the writer/director  and friends.  How could a film with George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, "and Brad Pitt" be anything but  an an insider movie? But, it is anything-but. Clearly, everyone had fun making this movie...and I had lots of fun watching it. It's a romp...a wonderful, pointless distraction. It's a preposterous story about a CIA file being found by two moronic gym employees (Pitt and McDormand), and their scheme to profit from it. This totally outrageous script could only come from the Coen brothers and I appreciate being let in on the (R-rated) fun...and kudos to the A+-list cast for giving us a truly unfogettable ensemble movie. You can watch the movie trailer by clicking here.

I won't say that I'm going to hurry to watch it again, however, I am without-a-doubt certain, that in years to come, this will be one of those movies I won't be able to pass by while channel surfing...and I 'm looking forward to it!

Another greatest hits compilation? When it's Tina Turner, there's never too much of a good thing! She turns 70 next year, but you'd never know it from the raves following her fall 2008 tour of North America. It's on to Europe in 2009, but meanwhile we have a brand new overview of her career: Tina!

This one reaches all the way back to the Phil Spector-produced song "River Deep, Mountain High" in 1966, works through the years with Ike, and includes signature numbers like "Proud Mary" and "Private Dancer," plus nearly all of her hits. Although not strictly chronological, it's probably the most definitive one-disk collection of Tina's music out there. The only drawback is that some live tracks have been substituted for studio ones...but you can find those on the stacks of other Tina Turner music we have here at the Darien Library!

Widely considered one of the most important female soul (and rock) singers ever, Tina's career now spans five decades and has stayed relevant thanks to her dynamic stage presence and timeless voice. These songs are irresistible!

Famously referred to as "the other guy" on Seinfeld, Jose Carreras is the third of the Three Tenors, not quite as well-known as Pavarotti and Domingo. But there's no doubt that he is one of the best and most loved opera singers of his generation...and he turns 62 years old today!

Born in Spain to a working class family, a young Jose saw Enrico Caruso sing and exasparated his family with nonstop arias afterwards. Somehow, they found the means to provide him with music lessons and he made his public debut at 8. From there, he continued performances and study at the conservatory, moving on to professional performances and popular recordings throughout the 70s and 80s.

After a frightening bout with leukemia, he gained worldwide status with the Three Tenors and delved into humanitarian causes while garnering awards and acclaim worldwide. He may have played the quiet role of unsung hero throughout his career, but it's time to sing the praises of a spectacular voice and talent. Happy birthday, Jose Carreras!