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CatalogLook Out! The Hellidays are just around the corner!
Two weeks from today is Thanksgiving (hard to believe!) and we all know what that means; an invasion of family and friends. Of course, there is always the one who makes you cock your head and say to yourself, “Why do I subject myself to this each and every year?” If you are like me, you are looking frantically for your glass as you think this and hoping it is filled with mind numbing yumminess. Today “The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks” by Dale Degroff came across our desk and we have been flipping through and developing a mighty thirst.
The photography is spectacular but what really has us going is the history and stories behind the cocktails. You have to love a book that includes the following quip “What lasts longer, a bottle of Angostura bitters or your marriage?” For our money the story behind The Monkey Gland Cocktail (Victorian Viagra anyone?) has to be one of the more disturbing stories we have come across in a loooong time. And believe me, we know disturbing.
The book not only gives you the history and the recipes behind some legendary cocktails, but also the correct glass to serve them in, tools every well stocked bar needs, and resources for those hard to find items.
So when your Aunt Gladys and Uncle Alfred ring that doorbell in two weeks, why not meet them with a little something from the book in a frosty glass? It just might make everyone a little more festive.
Cheers Dahlings! Time for a Classic?Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 5:10pm — jakcs
As the Library prepares for its temporary closing from November 26th to January 10, it occurs to me that now may be a good time to check out one of those timeless classics that you've always meant to read but never did. For me, the choice comes down to War and Peace or The Brothers Karamazov. If you're looking for a good book to read while the library is closed, consider one of these great books:
Check out one of these books between now and November 26th, and it won't be due back until January 14! Happy reading! What Is It???Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 10:04am — Becky
It’s a square white paper sticker with a little bump in the middle. It kind of reminds me of the raised bumps on the postcard my doctor gives me to report the status of a TB test site—you know, the “normal” reading where the skin is smooth or slightly raised. But no, we’re not testing all our library items for tuberculosis!
It’s an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, and one will be on every item you check out. Since it looks so innocuous, and might be in a bothersome place, you might be tempted to peel it off. But please resist the urge to do that, because it is actually the most important sticker on the item! It is a crucial part of the new checkout system we will be implementing in our new building, replacing our current barcode system. (Think of it as EZ-Pass for libraries.)
All the pertinent information about the item upon which it is affixed is captured inside the tick-sized little bump inside the sticker, which is surrounded by a flat spiral of silvery antenna. Who knew so much technology could be packaged inside such a small and unimpressive-looking package!
Why do we need this? First of all, it will make checkout quicker and easier (once we all learn how to do it!). After you present your library card, you will place your entire stack of items on a reader, which will read all the RFID tags in one fell swoop. You’re done! No wasting time opening books and cases to find barcodes, no temperamental laser scanners. We know your time is important.
The other advantage to having RFID tags is that we librarians can better manage our collections. With handheld readers, we can go into the stacks and do important work like taking inventory without having to remove a single book, CD, or DVD from the shelf. That means fewer items inexplicably “missing” from the shelf, and more time for us to spend helping you!
We understand, change is hard. But change can also be good. We’re confident that this is a good change that will help the Darien Library function more efficiently for you.
To learn more about RFID, read here:
Inquiring minds want to know…..Monday, October 20, 2008 - 4:21pm — jenniferd
We get many questions about our upcoming move to our new digs (Yes, we are very excited! Yes, this is going to be quite the undertaking!) And we thought that perhaps we could address a few questions that we have been getting most frequently: What?! Wait?! You’re closing?! Sorry! But anyone who has ever moved knows what lies ahead for us and understands that this is necessary. We will be closing Wednesday November 26th at 6:00 and we will be re-opening at our new home in early January.
Oh No! What will I do when you are closed?! Well, you will have to do the holidays this year. But to take the edge off, you are more than welcome to check out all the materials that you need to get you through it all. And no, your items will not be due when we are closed. Items that would normally be due during that time will now reflect the new library opening and have a due date of January 14th, 2009. Please feel free to visit some of our neighboring libraries! In order to register with them you will need ID and your library card.
Speaking of the Hellidays, I will have to at some point clean up and get ready for the influx. Will the outdoor book drop be open? Yes, the outdoor book drop will still be available to you 24/7!
What about items I have on hold? Will I be able to pick them up while you are closed if they become available? No I am sorry. But they will be waiting for you at the new library!
Can I still place items on hold? Yes, you may! However, you can only get in the queue for items that already have a waiting list. Items with an “On Shelf” status will not be holdable until a few days before we re-open.
What about the website? Will I be able to access that? Yes, but there may be one or two days it may be down. Remember! It has to be moved too!
As time gets closer, we will be putting out more information. But in the meantime, please feel free to ask us anything you need to know. As always we are happy to help!
Take one Manhattan Real Estate Mogul, who is not all there in the mental health department,Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 3:59pm — jenniferdAdd one 15 year old flapper, her opportunistic mother, a rabid tabloid press and an African Honking Gander. What does this get you? Why you get Peaches and Daddy!  Peaches and Daddy: A Story of the Roaring 20’s, The Birth of Tabloid Media & the Courtship that Captured the Heart and Imagination of the American Public by Michael Greenburg is a wonderful new history of the trial that was the water cooler conversation starter of 1927. When Edward “Daddy” Browning, the Donald Trump of his time with better hair, set his cap for Frances “Peaches” Heenan a 15 year old high school dropout, it set loose a maelstrom of publicity that would have made Brittany at her most nutty baldness so jealous. This story has it all, an acid attack, lots and lots of shopping, tantric sex, the raw food movement, a newspaper art department with way too much time on its hands, and of course the aforementioned African Honking Gander. I personally love any book where the Foreword contains the phrases, “study in dysfunction”, and “lurid details” and also includes the word prurient. Fabulous! Sign me up! Of course, this story does not have a happy ending. How could it? But it will keep you in a state of fascination for all 320 pages. Even if it does have a 300 Dewey designation!
National Book Award Finalists Just AnnouncedWednesday, October 15, 2008 - 2:22pm — Erica BThe National Book Award Finalists for 2008 were announced earlier today in Chicago. This prestigious prize, given every year to the best fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young people's literature, recognizes excellence in writing and past winners have included literary luminaries William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, and Ralph Ellison, to name a few! Stay tuned for the winners, which will be announced on November 19th in New York City. For the full list of the distinguished authors and to learn more about the nominated works, visit the National Book Award website. To check out any of our titles available at the Library, click here. This has to be the world’s worst title.Friday, October 10, 2008 - 2:34pm — jenniferd
And I feel that her editors were on break when this one slipped by. But Bon Appetit, Y’All by Virginia Willis has to be one of my favorite cookbooks so far this fall. Virginia Willis is Southern by birth and trained with Anne Willan at La Varenne and her food reflects this. You hop from Cheese Straws to Gougeres, Country Captain Chicken to Coq Au Vin, Chess Pie to Crème Brulee au Vanille. The pictures are glorious and her personality shines through with hilarious anecdotes and touching personal stories (you must check out the story accompanying the recipe for Fingerling Potato Salad. We were laughing so hard we started to cry). It is an awful lot like spending time on a friend’s front porch. Provided that friend can make a mean Corn Spoon Bread. I was a lucky girl growing up. I had a French Grandmother and a Southern Grandmother. This book reminds me of lovely by-gone dinners at two very different tables. But they both had wonderful food lovingly prepared in common. Cook something good this weekend!
Support for CaregiversSunday, September 28, 2008 - 7:48pm — jakcs
Caregivers can find these additional resources at the Darien Library: BooksCaring For Your Parents : The Complete AARP Guide, by Hugh Delehanty and Elinor Ginzler Crossroads At Midlife : Your Aging Parents, Your Emotions, And Your Self, by Frances Cohen Praver The Eldercare Handbook : Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions, by Stella Mora Henry and Ann Convery The Emotional Survival Guide For Caregivers : Looking After Yourself And Your Family While Helping An Aging Parent by Barry J. Jacobs My Mother, Your Mother : Embracing "slow Medicine" - The Compassionate Approach To Caring For Your Aging Loved Ones, by Dennis M. McCullough No More Words : A Journal Of My Mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh,by Reeve Lindbergh Web sitesNursing and Home Care/Mid-Fairfield Hospice State of Connecticut Department of Social Services, Aging Services Division Historical Fiction -- Worth a Trip Back in TimeSaturday, September 20, 2008 - 12:21pm — jakcs
Falling into Book DiscussionsTuesday, September 9, 2008 - 2:23pm — Barbara T.Our Fall Book Discussion Series begins this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (that means Jordon's back!). We've been encountering and anticipating so many "lasts" these days, and this discussion series will be the last in our current building. When it's time for the spring series, we'll be all settled in in our beautiful new building down the road. ...and speaking of "lasts," here's Jordon, when he last came to visit, at The Black Goose Grille (during their last days).
Professor Jordon Pecile Enough with the "lasts," already , except to say that the fall series will leave a lasting impression. As usual, Janet and Jordon have put much effort into selecting the books and the themes for the series. This fall's theme is...OF THEE I SING: NOVELS ABOUT THE CHANGING FACE OF AMERICA and here are the books and the discussion dates (get thee here):
September 14 2:30 p.m. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
October 5 2:30 p.m. America America by Ethan Canin
October 26 2:30 p.m. The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III
November 16 2:30 p.m. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
  Darien Library, 35 Leroy Avenue, Darien, Connecticut, 06820 · 203-655-1234Directions and Contact Information. AIM & Y!M: deweydarien |
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Consider the plight of aging baby boomers. Fresh from the trauma of watching their grown children fly from the nest, they face a new problem: caring for their aging parents. This challenge can seem overwhelming and isolating, and the associated stress can often tear families apart. The Darien Library will address this important issue on Tuesday, October 7, with a program called "Caring for Aging Adults: Coordinating, Honoring and Reminiscing." Presenting the program will be two eldercare specialists from Nursing and Home Care, a home health agency now partnered with Mid-Fairfield Hospice. Jeanette Graham, BA, coordination care manager, and Nanette Greene, MA, LPC, counselor, will offer information and advice to present and future caregivers. They will offer useful strategies for coping with stress and change, and for healing relationships. The workshop will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Library's Program Room on the Lower Level. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. To register, please call Judy Sgammato at 655-1234 x136 or send her an email at 
One of the positive things about getting older, for me, anyway, is the ability to identify those things that you truly enjoy among all the possibilities life has to offer. After reading Mary Doria Russell's wonderful book, 
