Summer has always been a special time at libraries. With the kids out of school we try our best to keep them reading during vacation to help them maintain their literacy skills. That's why most libraries offer some sort of summer reading program - it's a way to add a little bit of fun while encouraging them to continue reading. Our Summer Reading Clubs have started, and Devin and Kayla have a lot of fun activities planned for our children and teens.
We also thought that this summer we would give adults a chance to have bit of fun while reading this summer, so we're offering a summer reading program for them as well. And because we know life doesn't always slow down for adults during the summer, we've made it as simple as possible. Here's what you do:
- The next time you're in the library, stop by the check-out desk and pick up a "Between the Covers" Reading Log.
- Take it home, read 5 books between now and August 16th, and record the titles and authors on the log, along with a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
- Return the log to the library, and you'll be entered into a drawing to be held at the end of the summer.
- Prizes include gift cards from Maine Diner, Mike's Clam Shack, Joshua's, and more.
- Only one entry per person, please.
As reading logs are returned, we'll create a list of the summer's 5 star books.
Don't know what to read? Check out one of the Suggested Reading Lists at the library, visit one of the sites listed on our website, check out one of the Summer Reading lists here, or as always, ask a librarian.
Have a great summer, and we'll see you at the library.
Note: This is the first of what we hope will be regular book reviews from Library Staff members.
Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray tells the story of Clover Hobart, a middle-aged wife, mother, and journalist, who wakes up one morning to discover she's become invisible. And I don't mean invisible in the metaphorical sense, but actually, clothes-floating-in-space invisible. While her best friend notices right away that Clover's appearance has changed, Clover's own family doesn't notice that anything is different.
Her new condition, along with her family's indifference sends Clover into a state of depression, until the day she reads a notice in the local paper calling all invisible women to meet at the Sheraton Hotel. There, Clover discovers a support group for other invisible women who eventually decide to take action - to use their invisibility kind of like a super power- to right wrongs, including taking on the big pharmaceutical company believed to be responsible for their invisibility.
When I read the review of this in Library Journal, I was intrigued, but skeptical. I'm not a fan of fantasy and thought this might be too fantastic for my taste. But, I was surprised. Despite its premise, it was grounded in realism, and Ray obviously spent a lot of time thinking about the problems that invisibility would cause, and how to overcome them. The characters are likable, and Ray manages to inject humor into the situation. And even though Clover's invisibility was an actual physical manifestation, the author does cause the reader to think about invisibility in the larger, metaphorical sense. I found Calling Invisible Women to be a light, enjoyable way to spend a summer afternoon.
This book is not yet available at the Wells Public Library but may be requested from another library through the MINERVA online catalog.
It's almost summer, and time for lazy days in the sun with a cool drink and a good book. If you're looking for a few ideas of what to read, the State Library has posted a list of Summer Reading Suggestions from various websites. Remember that if there's a book here that you want to read and we don't have it in our collection, we are happy to help you to request it from another library through our MINERVA catalog. And, as always, if you need more suggestions feel free to ask a librarian. We're always happy to help you find just the right book.
Here they are. Enjoy!
One of the things I love about this job is that everyday is different, and when I walk into work I never know what to expect. This past Monday it was a letter in our morning mail that kept me busy for part of the of the day.
It was from a woman who had recently visited Wells. An avid birdwatcher, she had brought with her on this trip a book about Maine botanist Kate Furbish. As it turned out, she was staying at a motel located near Furbish Road here in Wells, and wanted to know if the two were connected. Not knowing the answer, the first thing I did was scout out our collection of local history in our Reference section.
In "Wandering through Wells," an early history of the town compiled in 1981 by the Historic Preservation Committee of Wells I found out that Joshua Furbish and his wife Katherine were the first Furbishes in Wells, but I couldn't find out anything about Furbish Road.
I then turned to "My Name Is Wells: I Am the Town," the excellent history of the town written by Hope Shelley in 2002. There I learned that the Furbish name was used to designate a school that sat on Route One and the road that ran from that school to the beach. The Furbish homestead was on the north side of that road, and Pamela Furbish Williams, a niece of Joshua Furbish, deeded the right of way for the road.
So, that answered that part of the question, the origin of the name of Furbish Road. But, I still needed to find out if Kate Furbish was connected to that family. I couldn't find any more information here at the library, so I went to the Internet. A quick Google search for Kate Furbish provided this information:
From the Bowdoin College Library I learned that Kate Furbish was born in Exeter, New Hampshire to Benjamin and Mary Lane Furbish. At the age of 1, the family moved to Brunswick, Maine.
So, while Kate Furbish had lived in Maine, there was no definite connection to Wells. But, further down the Google results page, I found this article: "Kate Furbish and her Drakes Island Legacy". I haven't lived here long, but I do know that Drakes Island is part of Wells. And this article gave me the information I needed - Kate Furbish was the granddaughter of the aforementioned Joshua Furbish, and therefore was connected to present day Furbish Road. An email from Jane Edgecomb of the Historical Society of Wells and Ogunquit confirmed my research.
I dashed off a letter to my correspondent, answering her question in the affirmative, thanking her for her question, as it afforded me the opportunity to find out more about the community. It was also a good reminder that while most of the time my questions can be answered by a quick Google search, not everything I want to know is available on the Internet. I'm glad I live in a time where information is readily available, but I'm also glad I have easy access to a wonderful collection of reference books here at the library.
So, if there's anything you want to know, just ask. I'll be happy to spend some time finding the answer for you.
