Dr. King

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in order to make room for a white passenger. This act of defiance led to her subsequent arrest. This sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a key event in the civil rights movement. Although it has been almost fifty years since Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his immortal "I Have a Dream" speech, the rich history of African-Americans is often overlooked in history courses today. Explore the vibrant African-American past with these books and DVDs from our collection.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user U.S. Embassy New Delhi

Ah, spring!

In Bringing Nature Home, author Douglas Tallamy discusses the tremendous value in sustaining biodiversity in our environments and how planting native species in our own gardens can help preserve the local wildlife - insects, birds and other animals. The health of local wildlife is one of the best indicators of how healthy our environment is for people, as well. And there are simple ways that we can all make a difference - no need to overhaul your exisiting garden!

On Tuesday, February 8th at 10 AM, The Garden Club of Darien will host guest speaker Dr. Douglas W. Tallamy for an event, being held in Darien Library's Community Room. Dr. Tallamy will present ways that we can help preserve wildlife and sustain the planet through our own gardens.

This lecture is free and open to the public. Come and hear how you can make a difference. Then, visit the Research Library on the 2nd floor for a display of sustainable gardening resources at Darien Library.

Click the link below to view a list of additional books.

Also, take a look at these websites that are staples for the novice and experienced gardener!

National Gardening Association
A one-stop website for finding gardening news, expert advice, and educational opportunities, as well as reference resources such as weed finders, plant finders, pest control libraries, food care guides, landscaping calculators, and more. With a Q&A library of over 28,000 gardening questions, answered by 3 garden experts and easy-to-follow how-to videos, the site also offers free newsletters on topic including regional gardening reports, edible landscaping, and kid garden news.

Kitchen Gardeners: A Global Community Cultivating Change
An online community of over 20,000 people who are interested in achieving higher levels of "food self-reliance" through kitchen gardening and sustainable local food. Q&As are arranged by vegetable/fruit, and the site includes recipes, various blogs and foums, and a listing of local "pods" - kitchen gardeners located in nearby communities for easy collaboration.

KidsGardening!
The NGA's kid-focused site helps introduce the conecpt of gardening to youth of all ages, and includes a "parents' primer" and activities for children to create and manage their own gardens, both indoor and outdoor. Also includes lesson plans and classroom stories for teachers.

Aruba, Bahama, Come on pretty mama!

Our travel books, learning language CDs and DVDs are located on the second floor in the Research Library. Come up and explore to plan your trip or just take a trip in one of our comfortable chairs with titles such as Frommer's Hawaii,  Fodor's Caribbean, or  the Rough Guide to Bali & Lombok. You might also like to try one of my favorite sites www.tripadvisor.com to get their free mobil app from one of the world's trusted travel review sites.

E.B. White

"Employ your time in improving yourself by other mens writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."

What a wonderful quote from Socrates. Most of us like nothing better than to benefit from someone else's hard work, however, chances are, Socrates had a lot more time on his hands than most of us do today. Pulled in all directions, it's often hard to find time to read the newspaper every day, let alone an entire book. Well, we may have just the solution for you. Check out this selection of  "small wonders"-- books that measure about 5 x 7 inches, most with fewer than 200 pages, and all certain to improve your life.

The list is rich in titles that amuse, educate, offer advice, and short tales of lives well lived. The smallest in the collection is E. B. White's essay, Here is New York. At 60 pages, it is a witty, perceptive piece about Manhattan, speaking to what lasts and what really matters. If you haven't read it before, you are in for a rare treat.

As you may expect, many of these tiny volumes are dedicated to advice for the newly graduated. Anna Quindlen, Ann Patchett and Maria Shriver each have words of wisdom about what you can do with your life, especially when you are young and opportunities abound.  Perhaps the best known is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, a college professor, diagnosed with terminal cancer, who wrote about achieving childhood dreams. It is at times humorous and inspirational, but ultimately it is simply about living your best life.

Please take the time to enjoy one of these small wonders, it won't take long and will certainly be worth the effort.

Make an original!

There is a myriad of benefits to be reaped from doing things yourself. You can hone a new skill, ponder and appreciate the end result, and often save a lot of money in the process. Plus it is very satisfying to reply to compliments with, "Thanks, I made it!" Below you will find a few books in our collection to walk you through a wide range of tasks and projects.

Image courtesy of "theblog"

Legislation passed in December has delayed the printing of certain tax forms. The IRS and Connecticut Department of Revenue Service will no longer send out  Tax Packages to individuals.

For IRS information, 1040 Central is the site to start with. There you can find quick and easy information about the new tax laws and IRS Free File for electronic filing.

www.irs.gov/individuals/index.html.

Connecticut forms can be found at  www.ct.gov/DRS/site/default.asp where you can find printable forms or file forms electronically.

Image courtesy of Flickr user asterix611

John Lennon released the popular song Happy Xmas (War is Over) in December 1971 with the Harlem Community Choir singing back-up vocals. Now a well-known Christmas song, it was ostensibly written in protest to the Vietnam War and serves as a reminder of this turbulent time in American history. Thirty years ago, John Lennon was assassinated in front of The Dakota apartment building in Manhattan while on his way home from the recording studio with his wife. After the jump, you will find a list of books about this prolific singer and activist as well as historical accounts of the Vietnam War and  America during the 1960s.

With the holidays quickly approaching, we're all gathering scraps of paper with gift ideas and shopping lists. So, what to get your favorite reader -- a novel, travel memoir, cookbook, classic, beach read, the latest bestseller? How about...a book about books?

Author Pat Conroy has long been a favorite with Darien Library readers, and My Reading Life is a memoir about the books that have shaped his life as a man and a writer. He recalls childhood trips to the library, where he stood in awe of towering stacks of books about Africa, a distant land of crocodiles and zebras, how Gone With the Wind influenced his identity as a southerner, the way he brought Charles Dickens to a rural schoolroom in isolated South Carolina, his own emergence as an author, and why War and Peace just might be the most satisfying experience he's ever had as a reader.

My Reading Life reminds us, in a culture of sound bites and viral video, that the printed word still has deep power to move and shape us. Pat Conroy's gift for choosing words that evoke and inspire make this an instant classic, and the perfect choice for any reader on your gift list (even yourself)!

On December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."  ~ President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (December 8, 1941)

In remembrance of this week's anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we have put together a display of books on the 2nd Floor covering the historic event and the war that followed. 

Watch the video of President Roosevelt's famous address to Congress.

A Free Small Business Workshop at Darien Library

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7   2 - 4 p.m. (Check in at 1:30 p.m.)

Co-sponsored by Fairfield County SCORE

Featuring Expert Speaker: Luc Deslauriers, FranNet of Connecticut

At this session, you will learn about:

• Library Business Reference Resources
• Franchising 101 -- What's it all about?
• Is franchising right for you?
• How to research franchises and understand their legal issues
• What will it take to get financing?
• How do you find and work with franchise brokers, attorneys, and advisors?

The presentation will be followed by a panel of local franchisees who will discuss their own experiences in setting up their franchise businesses.

To register, visit scorenorwalk.org or call SCORE at 203-847-7348.