library staff

  • Mishima’s Sword

    Mishima’s Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend  by Christopher Ross. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I lived in a southern city in China called Guangzhou. At that time Guangzhou was more vibrant than ever.  People were pouring into this so-called Window of the South Wind city to look for opportunity. Many… Continue reading

  • Record Industry a bunch of Luddites?

    While riding the bus a while ago I noticed a fellow bus rider was reading an article in Entertainment Weekly. I had trouble remembering what the article title was but I remembered it was about the recording industry and also about their resistance to modern technological breakthroughs that enable music to be shared. I decided… Continue reading

  • Staff favorites: Three novels to check out now

    No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay Cynthia is a typical high school student who sneaks out one night to goof around with her boyfriend. She is caught by her angry father and she storms off to bed screaming how much she hates him. She realizes the next morning how horrible she was and she… Continue reading

  • Big Change: Modernism

    At some point in the recent history of western civilization, a big cultural change occurred-in Europe, but especially in the United States. This change was so complicated that scholars really can’t grasp it completely. There was the nineteenth century, and then there was the twentieth-so very different from each other, in art, in music, in… Continue reading

  • Bored No More

      Kids-can’t live with them and can’t live without them,  but you can keep them reading no matter where they are or what time it is! Your online children’s reading resources are waiting for you. The Seattle Public Library’s Web site has a Children’s section with great resources and reading ideas for your kids.  There… Continue reading

  • Pacific Northwest Ballet Previews at The Seattle Public Library

    Plan now to attend the free lunchtime previews of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s wonderfully adventurous 2008-2009 season. PNB’s Education Programs manager, Doug Fullington, will offer entertaining insights on the ballets, complete with video excerpts. These lecture/video previews take place at noon, in the Central Library’s Microsoft Auditorium, First floor,1000 Fourth Ave. Everyone is welcome! Tuesday, September 23… Continue reading

  • Preview the UW World Series Fall Line-up

    In their publicity the UW World Series says, “Each season we strive to bring a varied and exciting, (and yes, occasionally challenging) season of dance, world music and theater, piano and chamber music to Meany Hall.” At The Seattle Public Library,  we’re thrilled to be bringing previews of the 2008-2009 UW World Series to Microsoft Auditorium of… Continue reading

  • Chinese Herbal Medicine

    If you walk into a Chinese herb shop usually there is a Chinese Herbalist available. They usually don’t charge you a fee if you purchase your herbs there for your illness. Herbs are very important in the Asian community.  Chinese people use herbs to strengthen and balance their body’s Qi. They believe Qi is a… Continue reading

  • Neil Gaiman fans vote for ‘Neverwhere’

    The last time HarperCollins posted a free Gaiman book, American Gods was the people’s choice and it was a hands-down success. This time they’ve made Neverwhere the 30-days or bust book! The novel will be available to read for 30 days, then expires. Until then, though, freeeeee! (You just need Adobe Digital Editions, which you… Continue reading

  • Opening new worlds: Mysteries in translation

    For those of us who love mystery novels, the quest for the next exciting detective or, better yet, the next series, is endlessly diverting. As it happens, this is a wonderful age for us, with the advent of many new absolutely top-notch works and series from abroad, best-sellers in their own countries, being released here… Continue reading

  • Central District and High Point reader suggestions

    Readers from the Douglass-Truth Branch and the High Point Branch offer some of their favorite books from this summer. Here are suggestions for some late-summer memoirs, a medical thriller set in Seattle, poetry and novels. Readers in Douglass-Truth’s Adult Summer Reading Program suggest: Shame on It All by Zane A captivating story of three sisters showing the true meaning of… Continue reading

  • Genealogy Classes coming up at SPL

    ARE YOU INTERESTED IN RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY? The Genealogy Staff of The Seattle Public Library are presenting classes and tours this fall designed to assist you with getting started on your family history project. The following genealogy classes, plus tours of the Genealogy Section have been scheduled. BEGINNING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH Are you… Continue reading

  • Summer Reads: Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach reader suggestions.

    Beach Reads? Rainy Day Reads? Its anyone’s guess! Welcome to August in Seattle! Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach participants in our popular Adult Summer Reading Program tell us a bit about what good reads they’ve found at the end of the rainbow. Beacon Hill readers suggest: The Devil’s Whisper, by Miyuki Miyabe Layers of mystery: a missing… Continue reading

  • Americans in Paris

    Oscar Wilde said that good Americans go to Paris when they die, but for many the ville lumière was a regular destination in life, and for some, the one place where they felt free to live realized, adult lives.  Herewith, a few titles by and about notable American lovers of Paris: Paris was Yesterday by… Continue reading

  • Finding that elusive poem – Part Two

    In the first part of this tutorial, we asked the question “How do you find a poem, when you know only the title or first line?” The reference tool we used was the Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry.  Now let’s ask the same question using one of the Seattle Public Library’s popular subscription databases.  After the video,… Continue reading

  • Summer Reads: Ballard, Broadview, Mobile and University reader suggestions

    Looking for a book for these last few weeks of summer? Here are 12 suggestions from Library users from Mobile Services and the Ballard, Broadview and University branches: Mobile Services’ readers suggest: Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton He tells all of us how we can really help save the world by… Continue reading

  • 2008: Year of the Frog

    Did you know that 2008 is the Year of the Frog?  The year has been deemed so by Amphibian Ark, a worldwide collaborative program of environmental agencies.  It’s about time frogs got their spotlight and respect!  I must confess to a lifelong fondness for frogs, so I am delighted to share my appreciation of these… Continue reading

  • Suburban sleuths

    Not all private detectives smoke pipes, carry arms and drive little red sports cars. Some suburban moms and dads solve murders before and after carpooling in vans and oversize station wagons. Authors Jeffrey Cohen, Susan Isaacs, Valerie Wolzien and Jon Katz are four authors have created suburban sleuths.  Jeffrey Cohen writes humorous mysteries set in New… Continue reading