August 2010

  • Solidarity Forever! Celebrating Seattle’s Workers and Labor History

    As we enjoy our Labor Day barbecues and picnics, it’s a good time to reflect on Seattle’s extraordinary labor history and honor the men and women whose struggles and hard work not only built this city, but won us cherished rights. The Seattle Public Library is a great place to start research before going to… Continue reading

  • Winsor McCay: Ahead of his time

    Have you ever looked at the art of someone like Hieronymus Bosch and wondered “What century did this guy come from?” He lived in the 15th and 16th centuries, but his art is so modern and fanciful that it almost seems out of place. Did Bosch hitch a ride in a flying saucer and visit 1940?… Continue reading

  • Surfing in Washington state: Part 2

    Steevie pulled up at my place at 6:30 a.m. on a Friday. The conditions were simple: go surfing, and a ride to a softball tournament outside Vancouver, WA will be had. After picking up Teresa, another teammate in need of a ride, we set course for Westport: a two-and-a-half hour drive southwest of Seattle. Apprehension,… Continue reading

  • Library books thwart purse snatcher; save lives

    Recently, my sister was living in Los Angeles and visiting her neighborhood library every day to use its computers and job hunting resources. One day, as she was walking from her parked car to the library, a purse-snatcher grabbed her bag. Luckily, she was holding a drink in her hand, which made the purse handle catch… Continue reading

  • Master Gardeners

    With my innate brown thumb, I have been helped many a time by Master Gardeners – or more specifically, the Washington State University Extension Master Gardeners of King County.  When I killed shrubs with liberal applications of nitrogen fertilizer (too much of a good thing) or hacked away at my rose bushes too enthusiastically (only… Continue reading

  • Get an e-book any time — even when we’re closed …

    Downloadable e-books will be accessible during the one-week closure, Aug. 30-Sept. 6. First time using this service? Try it out today! Check out the links to the “get started” videos in the right column on the digital media Web page. Continue reading

  • Two Outrageous Danish Films

    If it is healthy to laugh then it must extend your life by quite a bit when you laugh hysterically. If this is true then I would say that watching a DVD from the library is one of the best things you can do to extend your life. I prescribe two dark comedies by the… Continue reading

  • Uncertainty

    I remember the first time I saw Splendor in the Grass I cried hysterically. I saw it at a time in my life when the one relationship I thought I would be in forever had ended. I was at a crossroads and didn’t know who I was or what was going to happen. The uncertainty… Continue reading

  • Summer Visitors

    Is your calendar filling up with summer guests who are dying to experience the grandeur of Seattle and our region? Are you prepared with a list of places to see and things to do? Here are a few ideas that can help you build a repertoire of tour options that are free or low cost.… Continue reading

  • Come on, try this at home!

    Not every child comes with a compelling drive to sit with the latest 400-page blockbuster novel.  This, in no way, implies that such a child is not a reader. It just means that she might look beyond fiction books for her particular fun.  And this lucky child will find countless opportunities for exploration in the… Continue reading

  • Do you have enough books to last you through September 6?

      Stock up on books, CDs and DVDs to tide you over when the Library is closed Aug. 30-Sept. 6 due to citywide budget cuts. Continue reading

  • Nightstand Reads: Debut novelist Laurie Frankel shares her summer reading

    We’re excited  about novelist Laurie Frankel’s debut novel, The Atlas of Love, the story of a young single graduate student in Seattle who becomes pregnant and with the help of friends raises her baby, Atlas. Library Journal said, “Frankel’s debut is a wonderful literary treat that offers a fresh twist on the modern family.” Laurie,… Continue reading

  • Read All About It – Online

    Do you like the convenience and currency of reading news online, but are tired of reading it on tiny monitors? Do you want access to more electronic newspaper content than is available for free on the web? If so, come try the two new Newspaper Reading Stations in the Magazines and Newspapers Department on Level… Continue reading

  • About Time: Ages of Empire

    The Great Wall by John Man While traveling the entire length of China’s Great Wall, historian John Man explores its history and legends, bringing to life two millennia of Chinese history. The Ruin of the Roman Empire: A New History by James J. O’Donnell A historian takes a fresh look at the fall of the… Continue reading

  • How to Surf in Washington state: Part 1

    Surfing in Washington state may seem incongruent with the likes of hiking, recumbent bicycling, and extremely short summers, but it’s amazing to discover its hold on a growing contingent. In Seattle alone, there are at least three surf shops that cater to those wishin’ to hang ten or go SUP’ing, also called stand-up paddleboarding. Throughout… Continue reading

  • About Time: History of the Mind

    The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind by Justin Pollard This readable history documents the astonishing number of scientific and intellectual contributions made by the ancient Egyptian city. Dreams of Iron and Steel: Seven Wonders of the Nineteenth Century, from the Building of the London Sewers to the Panama Canal by… Continue reading

  • The Capitol Hill Branch of The Seattle Public Library proudly presents…Elvis!

    At 6 p.m. Thursday, August 12 in the Capitol Hill branch meeting room, local music author Gillian G. Garr will read from her book Return of the King: Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback. She’ll do a reading, show some video clips and then open up the floor for questions. Ms. Gaar is the author of several books about… Continue reading

  • Monday, August 9, 1945: Part 2

    August 9 marks the 65th anniversary of the atom bomb’s use against the Japanese at Nagasaki (August 6 at Hiroshima). As Robert Oppenheimer observed, “We knew the world would not be the same … We have made a thing, a most terrible weapon that has altered abruptly and profoundly the nature of the world …… Continue reading