Anne C.

  • Read Magazines for Free with Flipster

    One of the downsides to grocery delivery, if you’re a magazine reader, is lack of access to impulse-buy reading material in the checkout line.  Those cover recipes on cooking magazines are a great way to get inspired in the kitchen. Celebrity gossip is an effective distraction on a rough day and can be a good… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Neuro-diverse protagonist or author

    In this year’s Book Bingo, the neuro-diverse protagonist or author square invites us to journey into the world of a person whose modes of thinking and ways of processing the world differ from those of the mainstream population. Neurodiversity, often associated with disabilities like autism or ADHD, can sometimes lead to deep connections, groundbreaking insights,… Continue reading

  • Free Access to Magazines and Newspapers through PressReader

    If you love magazines and newspapers but need to limit your personal subscriptions, or if you’re trying to keep up with current events via reputable sources without worrying about firewalls, you may be interested in a giant online periodical resource called PressReader that is available free to Seattle Public Library cardholders, through our website. Why… Continue reading

  • “Fizzy vegetables” – Fermenting foods for fun and science 

    As a parent of small children who are homebound during the pandemic, I am giddily excited about any project that checks multiple boxes on my to-do list—especially those related to food, education, entertainment, and household chores. My most recent effort has been home vegetable fermentation, and it’s been surprisingly fun. We’ve tried cabbage, carrots, and… Continue reading

  • Weird Squirrel Behavior: A Reference Question

    Weird Squirrel Behavior: A Reference Question

    From the Ask a Librarian Reference Desk: “The squirrels in my neighborhood are clipping little twigs off of ornamental trees and throwing them on the ground. So many twigs everywhere! Why are they doing this?” Dear Patron, Thank you for contacting The Seattle Public Library for assistance unraveling your squirrel-related mystery! Experts in squirrel behavior,… Continue reading

  • In a Cloistered Monastery – A Reference Question

    “The architecture of cloistered convents features a small door to the exterior designed specifically to allow groceries and other small supplies to be delivered while maintaining the privacy and separation of the nuns. What is the formal name for such a door (it likely has a name in Latin) and what is the English translation… Continue reading

  • Evolution of a Sustainable City

    This September, I set up a display on the Central Library’s 7th floor called “Sustainable Cities” to complement a traveling exhibition we were showing at the time elsewhere in the building. The display featured books and documentaries about how to design and build an urban environment that would offer more economic and energy security, better… Continue reading

  • Futurama Redux: Urban Mobility After Cars, a Traveling International Exhibition

    One of the highlights of the 1939 World’s Fair was a massive exhibit called “Futurama,” created by General Motors. It promised that within twenty years the working man would live in a glorious future filled with friendly suburbs, gleaming skyscrapers, and extensive highways—all of this made possible by the comfort and convenience of the personal… Continue reading

  • Honoring Jim Henson and the Art of Puppetry

    “When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.” – Jim Henson On Saturday, May 13th, The Seattle Public Library is delighted to be hosting an all-day, all-ages puppeteering event… Continue reading

  • New Magazine Subscriptions: Part 1

    We are excited to announce the start of several new print magazines subscriptions at the Central Library and at many branches! Thank you to all the patrons and staff who made suggestions over the last two years. You have helped our magazine collection remain current and a reflection of the many interests of our community.… Continue reading

  • Wuthering Weather

    Up here at the Central Library science desk, weather conversations are often much more than small talk. Patrons often want to know how their perceptions match available data, and recently it’s been all about fat raindrops and heavy coats. Has this winter really been unusual? Our research says yes. Seattle has just experienced the coldest… Continue reading

  • Finding Potter’s Field: Indigent Burial in the United States

    A patron recently called the library to ask what happens when someone dies without means to pay for cremation or burial. In some cases, such a person might have no living relatives. In others, the identity of the deceased is simply unknown. Here’s what we learned: Continue reading

  • Born in January

    January marks the start of a new year for most of us, but for these famous people it also marked the beginning of an eventful and impactful life! Click on any name below to discover a list of nonfiction books that explore the lives and works of some of the world’s more influential January babies. Continue reading

  • Slow cooking for cold weather

    -posted by Anne C. This winter, I visited my aunt at her home in rural England. I love her old house, with its thick stone walls, but my favorite feature is the oil-fired aga in the heart of the kitchen. An aga, rare in the US, is a very efficient, unique kind of cast-iron stove… Continue reading

  • Looking for events in Seattle?

    ~posted by Anne C. Seattle is a dynamic city, with enough going on throughout the year to pique anyone’s interest—but when you’re new in town, or have been here a while and want to break out of your routine, it can be a challenge to find just the right show, reading, club gathering, or event to… Continue reading

  • The Making of a Monster

    ~By Anne C. Beasts, phantoms, despots and serial killers have thrilled and fascinated humans, time out of mind. Some of us shy away from such frightening thoughts, but others venture bravely into the dark corners of imagination, seeking out monsters, making their acquaintance, and bringing them into the light through arts and literature. Earlier this… Continue reading

  • On Myth and Monsters

    By Anne C. As the shadows lengthen and the autumn winds begin to wuther, you might find your fancy turning to the darker corners of the world and the things that creep and lurk there. Things that growl. Things that hunt.  Magical things. Terrifying things. Monsters. But, what is a monster? Where does the idea… Continue reading

  • Universal Class—take a free online class, from a certified teacher, through the Seattle Public Library

    If you have a library card, chances are good that you have used the library at some point to enhance your knowledge of a topic or a craft. You might have borrowed a cookbook to try out a new cuisine, taken guitar lessons on DVD, used a study guide to ace a test, or accessed… Continue reading