Thursday, October 28, 2010

North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library Local History Videos




If you like local history or genealogy, you should visit North Webster Community Public Library's YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/icrighton). Their videos are engaging and well-produced, and they showcase their innovative local history and genealogy events. The site is relatively new, and we anticipate additional uploads in the future that you should enjoy.

Visit North Webster's website at http://www.nweb.lib.in.us/ to learn more about the library's programs, events, and resources.

Here is an example of one of North Webster's videos:


This video will be featured at an upcoming Indiana Library Federation (ILF) workshop on library videography ("Book Trailers Rock!"), presented by Suzanne Walker, MPL Youth Services Librarian, and Bill Buckley, MPL Indiana Room Librarian.



Saturday, October 23, 2010

Native American Heritage Month (November)

November is Native American Heritage Month. Celebrate Native American heritage by learning more about Native American society and history in your area. The roots we share around the world give the tree of humanity greater strength.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Genealogical & Family History Archives & Library Collections

"I hate history," said a high school student recently outside the MPL Indiana Room. "Nothing but endless dates, names of kings, presidents, or generals, and a lot of irrelevant events that no one can relate to." I certainly sympathize. Memorizing meaningless minutiae is the bane of primary and secondary education.

I hope this student has the opportunity to discover what I first learned in college and have had reinforced ever since: History is every life experience. You're living history right now. Each life tells a unique story. This makes each life narrative priceless. The great tragedy is that so many of these voices are lost in time.

Do you have any undated photographs featuring unidentified persons? I often wonder, as I encounter these types of images (usually in donated materials to the library), who were these people? Their facial expressions, especially their eyes, remind me that we are very much alike. I imagine we shared similar dreams, hopes, feelings, and even ideas. These people should not be discarded upon the heap of modern indifference to the past. They deserved better.

Above all the other wonderful things libraries do for people, at the top of my list is the preservation of family and local histories, genealogical information, and realia from our collective days of yore. This is why I work in a library. I want to help people reconnect with their pasts in personal, meaningful ways. Archives and historical and genealogical library collections are the vanguards of memory. They preserve a past that makes us understand who we have been, have become, or will become. We support these valiant efforts with a "treasure trove" video (below). We hope you enjoy it and encourage you to support your libraries and archives. The past--especially yours and mine--is a flower forever in bloom.


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

MPL Does Taio Cruz

This is a parody of the music video and song "Dynamite," by Taio Cruz (Mercury Records, 2010). "Dynamite" soundtrack by Karaoke Hitz (2010). New lyrics written by Suzanne Walker. Produced by Mooresville Public Library and City Dump Records (http://www.myspace.com/citydumprec). Video editor: Suzanne Walker. Vocalists: Meghan Adams, Lori Becker, Kate Meador, and Suzanne Walker. Creative team: Suzanne Walker, Jaymi Edwards, Meghan Adams, and Bill Buckley. Directed by Suzanne Walker and Jaymi Edwards. Featuring the staff and volunteers of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) and the Freers and Jensens. Thanks to Baby Dax.


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Tober, the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library Cat

Follow the adventures of Tober, the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library Cat, at http://tobersadventures.blogspot.com/

Tober has many great ideas to share about how libraries can be fun for you to explore. His feline observations are insightful, clever, and humorous. But that's no surprise to us "cat people." Kitties have been running the show since at least the Egyptians.

One of our book trailers features one of Vicki Myron's children's books about Dewey Readmore Books, the Spencer (Iowa) Public Library cat. Tober leads the cast of "kitty extras" shown in the second half of the video.





Watch for Tober at around the 1:13 mark.


Saturday, October 9, 2010

Support Your Libraries!

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) presents two versions of a program trailer promoting libraries. The first version below features as its soundtrack "I Canali di Venezia" from the music CD "Through Abstract Eyes" by Daniel E. Buckley. The second features "Imagination Land" from the music CD "Music Therapy for the Deranged" by Daniel E. Buckley. Please let us know which you like better. Thanks.





Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Evergreen Indiana

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) presents a "program trailer" featuring Evergreen Indiana, the state's open-source, integrated library system, operated in partnership with the Indiana State Library. Evergreen Indiana is continually growing as new member libraries join the consortium. As of September, 2010, the E.I. consortium included 90 public, school, and institutional libraries across the state. The Evergreen Indiana catalog contains over 5.2 million items and 3.3 million bibliographic records, and the system serves over 705,000 Hoosier residents. For a complete list of participating libraries, please visit the Indiana State Library web site at http://www.in.gov/library/evergreen.htm

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Halloween is Coming! Watch Our Spooky Book Trailers

The end of October will soon be upon us, and those who enjoy ghosts, haunted places, and Halloween will find many interesting books among our paranormal and folklore collections. Here are several book trailers to hint at the scary stuff that awaits! The first book trailer below features a Hoosier haunting!