Top Ten Tuesday – Last Minute Summer Activities

photo from Pixabay / CC0 1.0
Summer is coming to a close and it is time to gear up for school. If you are like me, you might be wondering where the summer went. You might also be trying to think of ways to enjoy the end of summer. 

Thanks to a post by Gina Alyse, here are some Last-Minute Bucket List ideas for summer.
  • Find a new workout routine.
  • Take a road trip with friends (or by yourself).
  • Make popsicles.
  • Set up an informational interview with someone in your chosen field.
  • Get ahead of your school year by developing your portfolio.
  • Get out and volunteer in your community.
  • Create a blog.
  • Spend time with your family.
  • Attend a concert.
  • Relax and read a book. You can explore our recent OverDrive blog posts if you need suggestions. 
What else would you add to your Summer Bucket List? Personally, I would add camping to mine.
Please comment and share.

Summer Reading Recommendations – Two Audiobooks from Amanda Pape

A couple months ago, the Library posted a video on our YouTube Channel with staff recommendations for summer reading.  Here\’s the \”why?\” behind some of those recommendations, as well as other books that did not make it into the video.

Amanda Pape, Coordinator for Archives and Special Services, has a 45-minute one-way commute to the Stephenville campus, so she is a big advocate of audiobooks.  These suggestions are available as e-audiobooks in our OverDrive collection.


\”\’The Nightingale\’ is the code name for a member of the French Resistance during World War II, and it\’s also the last name (in English) for three characters in the book, Vienne Rossignol Mauriac, her younger, single sister Isabelle Rossignol, and their father Julien Rossignol.  They are each part of the resistance, in different ways.  Vienne\’s story in some ways is the most compelling, for she has to pretend to be \’normal\’ both for the sake of her children and because of the German officers billeting in her home.

Kristin Hannah states in her author\’s note and a conversation in the reading group guide that she based Isabelle on a \’young Belgian woman named Andrée de Jongh, who had created an escape route for downed airmen out of Nazi-occupied France.\’

Polly Stone was an excellent reader – she has lived in France, and it shows in this audiobook, which won the 2016 Audie Award for Fiction and was a finalist for best female narrator and Audiobook of the Year.\”  The Nightingale is also available as an e-book in OverDrive.

\”Barkskins is an epic (713 pages in print) novel tracing two families involved in different ways in the timber industry in North America (primarily – also a bit in New Zealand as well).  It starts in 1763 with two French immigrants to Canada, René Sel and Charles Duquet.  Both are indentured servants, but Duquet runs away and becomes a successful fur trader – and eventually a timber baron, changing his surname to Duke.  Sel marries a Native American woman, and their descendants work in the forest, but rarely own much.

The book then follows down each line about six generations, to 2013.  Along the way, the two families intersect.  Some characters are more memorable than others.  In particular, I liked René\’s great-great grandson Jinot Sel and his (mis-)adventures in New Zealand, as well as Lavinia Duke Breitsprecher, who is about as ruthless in business as her great-great-grandfather Charles.

The stories move all over the world too, from Nova Scotia and Maine to France, London, Amsterdam, New Zealand, China, and the Amazon, as well as to various American cities (Boston, Detroit, Chicago) as the Duke company enterprises move westward.  Lots of period details make the settings come alive.  It\’s obvious author Annie Proulx has done her research.

Actor Robert Petkoff is an outstanding reader on the audiobook, creating appropriate accents and voices for each character that help to distinguish them.\”

The Living New Deal

The Living New Deal is a non-profit organization that exists to document all of the public works that were created by various New Deal programs from 1933-43. Several professors at the University of California-Berkeley began this project in 2005 by gathering information on New Deal public works projects in California. In 2010, they expanded and began documenting projects nationally. The New Deal refers to a wide range of economic programs that President Franklin Roosevelt\’s administration enacted in response to the Great Depression. 

The Living New Deal\’s website contains a wealth of information and resources. My favorite tool is the map. You can use navigation tools in the map to either zoom in or search for a specific location in the United States and see New Deal public works projects in the area. 

Map from the Living New Deal website.
Each red dot represents a public works project built by a New Deal program between 1933-43. 
Close up view of Stephenville and surrounding towns reveals several New Deal projects in the area.  

This map reveals that there are two buildings in Stephenville that were built by New Deal programs. One is the current Public Library and former post office building located at 174 N. Columbia Street. It was funded by the US Treasury Department and completed in 1935.

Current Stephenville Public Library and former post office.
The building was a New Deal public works project completed in 1935.
Michael Barera [CC BY-SA 4.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), from Wikimedia Commons.

The other is the Recreation Hall located at 378 W. Long Street. It was built the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and completed in 1938. Today it houses the offices of the Stephenville\’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Recreation Hall in Stephenville. Built by the WPA in 1938.
Joshua Wallace – Photographer & Copyright Holder, 2018. 

If you want to learn more about the New Deal, the Dick Smith library has a large collection of items on the subject. Such as these titles:

Digital Film:
A Chaos of Experimentation

Books & eBooks:
A Concise History of the New Deal by Jason Scott Smith
The Crash of \’29 and the New Deal by Bruce Glassman
Designing a New America: The Origins of New Deal Planning, 1890-1943 by Patrick D. Reagan


Contact us at 254-968-9249 or [email protected] if you have any questions about library resources on the New Deal or any other topic.

Summer Reading Recommendations – Two from Tracy Holtman

A couple months ago, the Library posted a video on our YouTube Channel with staff recommendations for summer reading.  Here\’s the \”why?\” behind some of those recommendations, as well as other books that did not make it into the video.  All are available as e-books in our OverDrive collection.

Tracy Holtman, our Assistant Director for Collections Management, had two suggestions.

\”What I liked about The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend [by Katarina Bivald] was that it was different from what I normally read.   Two women correspond sending book recommendations.  However when the woman from Sweden visits, her pen-pal has passed away.  She stays in the friendly small town, and opens a book store, giving book recommendations to everyone.

I enjoyed revisiting all the books mentioned. (It was nice to know I had read several!!)  It was just a good sweet book – small town America.\”

Tracy also recommends the Sullivan’s Crossing series, set in rural Colorado, because \”It was by an author I love [Robyn Carr], with a family storyline.    I like family stories – this one [What We Find, first in the series] is about a daughter and her aging father.   (And of course some romance too.)   Just a good, short, fun read.\”

We also have the next two books in the series in OverDrive:  Any Day Now, and The Family Gathering.

Independence Day

On July 4th we celebrate Independence Day. On this day in 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, which formally declared that the United States was free of any connection to Great Britain. However, actual independence was not achieved until the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

On June 10th, 1776 the Continental Congress designated the Committee of Five to write a declaration of independence.  The five men on the committee were: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The committee chose Thomas Jefferson to be the author of the document, and the other members of the committee assisted with editing and revisions. The committee approved the final draft on June 28th, and then submitted it to the Congress. The Congress adopted the declaration on July 4th.

1791 portrait of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Third President of the United States and primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. 

The library has a lot of resources for learning more about the Declaration of Independence. Such as these titles:

Summer Reading Recommendations – Two from Lisa Wan

Recently the Library posted a video on our YouTube Channel with staff recommendations for summer reading.  Here\’s the \”why?\” behind some of those recommendations, as well as for other books that didn\’t make it into the video.

Lisa Wan is our Tarleton – Fort Worth Librarian.  Here are her recommendations, both of which are available as e-books in our OverDrive collection:

\”A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles, takes the reader into the fictional life of a Russian gentleman imprisoned in a world-class Russian hotel during the Russian Revolution.  I enjoyed the fictionalized glimpse of old world life in Russia through descriptions of the hotel life, but the real gem for me was growing to know the characters more deeply and enjoying their interactions. The book’s ending is intriguing, leaving my friends and I in disagreement about the conclusion.

I read The Only Woman in the Room, by Eileen Pollack, because I know that women still struggle to belong in primarily male-dominated fields.  Pollack’s book is her biographical story as one of the first two women to earn a degree in physics from Yale University. Pollack describes her encounters, not only with learning physics, but also with, literally, being the only woman room in a the classroom full of men.  Pollack’s unbarred description of the struggles of a female in a STEM [science – technology – engineering – math] field in the 1970s gave me perspective on the subtle prejudices women face when working in a male dominated field, yet encouraged me with her will to overcome.\”

Summer Reading Recommendations – Non-Fiction Titles from Joshua Wallace

Recently the Library posted a video on our YouTube Channel with staff recommendations for summer reading.  Here\’s the \”why?\” behind some of those recommendations, as well as for other books that didn\’t make it into the video.

Joshua Wallace, our Instruction Librarian, says,

\”I enjoy reading non-fiction works, and personally find it difficult to become engrossed in fiction. If you’re like me then here are some books you might enjoy.

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah – This autobiography is an emotional rollercoaster, and you probably want to have a box of tissues handy when reading it. Adeline’s mother died two weeks after giving birth to her, and the family considered her bad luck as a result. Years later her father remarried, and her stepmother was exceedingly cruel. Despite these challenges, Adeline excelled academically. As this family drama unfolds, World War II and the Chinese Civil War occurs in the background.\” 

[This e-book is available 24/7 in our OverDrive collection.  The next two print books can be found in the General Stacks on the upper level of the Dick Smith Library.]

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris – \”A hilarious read that is a nice break from the tear-jerker mentioned above. You might still need that box of tissues, but this time it will be because you’re laughing too much. This is a collection of autobiographical (possibly humorously exaggerated) essays of the author’s life. From taking a speech therapy class in his childhood, to living abroad in France, and much more in between. This author finds humor even in the mundane and challenging events of his life.

Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy by Eri Hotta – This work tells the story of Japan’s decision to bomb Pearl Harbor from the Japanese point-of-view. This book reveals that many Japanese officials realized that bombing the US would have terrible consequences, but the tragi-comic realities of Japan’s government and society at the time pushed them along this disastrous course. Hotta is a great writer and the way she tells the story makes this book hard to put down.\”

National Sewing Machine Day

National Sewing Machine day is an unofficial holiday that is celebrated every year on June 13. It was created in recognition of the invention of the sewing machine, a machine that made clothing production easier and quicker.

Who invented the sewing machine?

In 1790 an English inventor, Thomas Saint, received a patent for a machine that would be powered by a hand crank and could sew leather and canvas. Alas no one has ever found evidence that his idea went beyond initial drawings.

In 1874, William Newton Wilson discovered Saint\’s design and built a working model. The model was later donated to the London Science Museum.



Since Saint\’s initial design, many inventors have tinkered with the machine in order to improve its functionality. One of the most notable modifications to the machines came in 1851 when Isaac Singer adapted the design to include a foot pedal and a push down needle. Singer was then able to bring the machine beyond factories and into American households.



You can click on this link to further explore the history, and controversies, behind the creation of the modern sewing machine.

How to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day?

  • Sew something for charity
  • If you do not already have a machine, borrow one and practice
  • Examine quilts and reflect on familial heritage

Lastly our library has a large collection of materials to help generate ideas for projects. Below are some examples: 

Books and Ebooks 
Digital Videos
If you need help finding resources, contact the library at [email protected] or 254-968-9249.

Texas Traveling

Are you planning a trip somewhere in Texas this summer? If so, then make a stop by the library before you do. We have a wealth of travel information available in our collection.

The Alamo, San Antonio, TX 2009.
By Daniel Schwen [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, from Wikimedia Commons.
Periodicals 

  • Texas Highways – magazine published monthly by the Texas Department of Transportation. Contains many articles with Texas road trip ideas.
  • Texas Monthly – this magazine covers all things Texas (politics, culture, and much more). It also frequently publishes useful information for Texas travel such as this recent article on traveling in the hill country. 
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife – monthly magazine published by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. Contains useful information on the recreational activities available at Texas state parks.

Books & eBooks
1933 Texas Highway Map.
Probably don\’t want to use this for current travel purposes.
[Public Domain], from Wikimedia Commons. 
Websites
If you need help finding travel information for Texas or any other destination, then contact the library at [email protected] or 254-968-9149. 

Summer Reading Recommendations – Three from Melissa Cookson

Recently the Library posted a video on our YouTube Channel with staff recommendations for summer reading.  Here\’s the \”why?\” behind some of those recommendations, as well as for other books that didn\’t make it into the video.

Melissa Cookson is our Cataloging Librarian, and an avid consumer of books, manga, and anime.  Here are her recommendations, most of which are available 24/7 in our OverDrive collection:

In Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, \”the last remaining fragment of a warship AI [artificial intelligence] seeks revenge against the person who nearly destroyed her and who killed the person she most cared about. It’s the first book in a trilogy that must be read in order. It took me a while to adjust to the way the world of the trilogy worked and the story’s slow pace, but it was worth it. The first book was gut-wrenching and fascinating, and the second and third books, Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy, were even better. I’d recommend the trilogy as a whole to folks who enjoy science fiction with prominent artificial intelligence characters and a nice \’found family\’ aspect.\”

[Note that all three books are also available in print in the General Stacks on the third floor of the Dick Smith Library, with nearly identical call numbers to those provided in the links.  Ancillary Mercy is in OverDrive as an e-audiobook.]

Radiance, by Grace Draven, \”is a fantasy romance featuring a political marriage between two beings who find each other physically repulsive. Brishen and Ildiko were a wonderful pair right from the start, determined to make their marriage work out as best as possible. I loved their efforts to be both friendly and honest with each other.\”

In 14, by Peter Clines, \”Nate moves into an unbelievably cheap apartment and gradually discovers that it has more issues than just its massive green cockroach infestation. I loved watching Nate, along with his neighbors, uncover the apartment building’s mysteries. The atmosphere was wonderfully suspenseful and slightly creepy, made even better by Ray Porter’s excellent narration.\”

[This book is only available in our collection as an audiobook on compact discs, found on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library in the Audiovisual Collection.]

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