SJCPL Blog

This posting is another in an occasional series about interesting questions that we in “the History Room” try to help patrons answer.

The other day an elderly couple came in and asked if we had any maps of the town of Walkerton. We do have several modern-day maps of Walkerton that I found by searching our online collection guide to maps in our Map Case. However, it turned out that what they were trying to find out was the address of the woman’s grandparents, who lived in Walkerton in the 1920s and 1930s. The woman could picture the house and remember all sorts of details about the yard and the furnishings inside but could not remember the street name or house number. And now, after puzzling over this for years, she decided to try to get to the bottom of this mystery. She came to the right place.

• First, I thought of plat map books, of which we have several, but most of those do not include specific houses in towns, but only name rural property owners. If you are interested in historical rural property owners, you may want to view the 1875 St. Joseph County Atlas or 1936 St. Joseph County Plat Book online from home or from any of the SJCPL computers.

• Another possible resource is the Digital Sanborn Maps database, which maps out all the buildings in the different towns in Indiana for different time periods between 1867-1970. You can tell if a house was one or two stories, if it was brick or frame, and much more detailed building information on these historical fire insurance maps. The Digital Sanborn Maps database is available at all branches of SJCPL and from your home computer with a valid SJCPL card. But the Sanborn maps don’t match a homeowner with a specific house, so won’t answer our specific research question for this patron either.

• Then, I thought of looking up her grandparents on the 1930 Federal Census on the Ancestry Library Edition database. (Ancestry Library Edition is available at all SJCPL locations). For the 1900-1930 decennial censuses, persons living in towns and cities were arranged according to their house number and street name. Sure enough, when we looked up her grandparent’s names, we found them living in a house in Walkerton, Indiana. She and her husband were very excited to leave SJCPL with the information they had sought!

Mission accomplished–mystery solved. Do you have a mission for Local & Family History Services? We’d love to help you with your puzzles and mysteries.  Come on into the Main Library and visit us, call us at 574-282-4621, or email us at local.history@sjcpl.org.

I first discovered audiobooks while traveling to visit my parents in Oklahoma. A 12-hour drive is made much easier while listening to a great book. The trip there I listened to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. By the time I reached Oklahoma I was so involved in the story that I spent several hours sitting by my parents’ stereo listening to the ending.

On the way back, I listened to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Another incredible tale to listen to while driving.

Since that first trip I have found that audiobooks are not just great for long car rides but also for cleaning the house, exercising, and even while crafting. Time flies with a good book on CD or on your iPod.

If you didn’t already know, SJCPL has books that can be loaded onto your iPod to enjoy for three weeks. Check out the selection at the Main library. You will not be disappointed.

I recently finished listening to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. It was a fascinating book that jumped between 1991 and 1692.  The main character, Connie, discovers the existence of a physick book linked to a woman who was executed for being a witch during the Salem witch trials.

Some other great listens are:

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (This was really interesting to listen to because it is read by so many different voices for the different characters.)

Inez of My Soul by Isabel Allende

Another librarian suggested to me to listen to  autobiographies read by the authors:

Home by Julie Andrews

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Are there audiobooks that you have listened to that you really enjoyed?

Fiction
A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott
The Body in the Sleigh: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page
The Gift: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
No Less Than Victory: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara

Nonfiction
Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful conversations with Phil Griffin
Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals by Jamie Oliver
100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species by Jeff Corwin
Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis by Al Gore
Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility by Mireille Guiliano

DVDs
Bruno
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
Is Anybody There?
My Sister’s Keeper
Star Trek

CDs
Come Alive—Mark Schultz
Embryonic—The Flaming Lips
Evangelion—Behemoth
Ready—Trey Songz
Sainthood—Tegan & Sara

Children’s
Cool Cat by Nonny Hogrogian (Preschool)
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus (Grades 3–5)
Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac (Grades 5–7)
Thanks a Lot, Emily Post by Jennifer LaRue Huget (Preschool)
Thunder-Boomer! by Shutta Crum (Preschool)

Large Print
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
Ford County: Stories by John Grisham
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris

Published November 12, 2009. View the complete list from The New York Times.

Hardcover Fiction:

1. FORD COUNTY, by John Grisham. (Doubleday, $24.) Stories set in rural Mississippi.

2. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown. (Doubleday, $29.95.) Robert Langdon among the Masons.

3. KINDRED IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb. (Putnam, $26.95.) Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the brutal murder of a colleague’s daughter; by Nora Roberts, writing pseudonymously.

4. THE GATHERING STORM, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. (Tor/TomDoherty, $29.99.) Book 12 of the Wheel of Time fantasy series.

5. THE LACUNA, by Barbara Kingsolver. (Harper/HarperCollins, $26.99.) A young American growing up in Mexico becomes friends with Diego Rivera, Frieda Kahlo and Leon Trotsky; later, in the United States, he is menaced by ­McCarthyism.

Hardcover Nonfiction:

1. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom. (Hyperion, $23.99.) A suburban rabbi and a Detroit pastor teach lessons about the comfort of belief.

2. SUPERFREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. (Morrow/HarperCollins, $29.99.) A scholar and a journalist apply economic thinking to everything: the sequel.

3. WHAT THE DOG SAW, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) A decade of New Yorker essays.

4. ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others. (Mercury Radio Arts/Threshold Editions, $29.99.) Making the case against big government.

5. THE BOOK OF BASKETBALL, by Bill Simmons. (Ballantine/ESPN, $30.) ESPN.com’s Sports Guy crunches big questions in N.B.A. history.

Children’s Chapter Books:

1. CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic, $17.99.) The protagonist of The Hunger Games returns. (Ages 12 and up)

2. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic, $17.99.) In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)

3. THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT, by Kate DiCamillo and Yoko Tanaka. (Candlewick, $16.99.) An orphan in search of his sister follows a fortuneteller’s mysterious instructions. (Ages 7 and up)

4. MILLION-DOLLAR THROW, by Mike Lupica. (Philomel/Penguin Young Readers, $17.99.) In tough economic times, the pressure is on for a young quarterback with an unusual opportunity. (Ages 9 to 12)

5. HUSH, HUSH, by Becca Fitzpatrick. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99.) A love story with ancient battles and immortals. (Ages 14 and up)

On Saturday, a friend called and asked me to go to a concert with her. I was happy to accept. Honestly, I have not attended a concert in the new DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts, located on the Notre Dame campus. The venue was beautiful.

We settled into our seats and much to my delight, the percussion equipment was in my direct view. I was interested in the way that the percussion equipment was arranged, with a bass drum and cymbals, congas and other drums in front of the bass drum, a snare situated somewhere, and tall metal trees with all sorts of cool and exotic percussion. I resisted the urge to run down the aisle, jump up on stage, and start playing.

When the lights dimmed, the bass player and percussionist stepped out first. Then Idan Raichel, the Israeli mastermind behind the international project, crossed the stage and sat at the piano. The trio started playing. After a couple of songs, he introduced himself. And other musicians entered the stage: three singers and a flute/clarinet player. The ensemble played one long, wonderful, eclectic set. Hebrew meets African rhythm. Songs were performed in a multitude of languages, as the musicians were from all over the world.

After the performance, the audience jumped to their feet with a standing ovation. And despite the jet lag, the ensemble re-emerged and rocked out. An electric song by Ravid Kahalani from Yemen was particularly riveting. When the performance ended, the audience was invited to chat with Idan. He spoke with the audience for 20 minutes about his music and how The Idan Raichel Project started.

Fortunately, the Idan Raichel Project’s latest musical compilation, titled Within My Walls, is available in select SJCPL locations. If you are inclined for a global musical experience, check it out or place a reserve on a copy today!

As you’ve no doubt heard, author James Kennedy will be with us Saturday, November 14, at 2:00 p.m. We’ve had the pleasure of hearing James speak at the SJCPL before, and he’s back again to discuss the book and talk about the writing process.

Someone framed it much better then I, so let me share with you the official write up for the event below:

“Meet James Kennedy, author of the young adult fantasy The Order of the Odd-Fish, a hilarious cross between Monty Python and Roald Dahl that was named as one of the Smithsonian’s Notable Books for Children of 2008. He will read from the book and lead a theatrical writing exercise/performance in which participants will duel as gods from the book. Tell your friends–this is a ‘can’t miss’ event!”

Come see what all the hype is about, and enjoy what promises to be a unique event! See you there!

OK, kids–here’s a game you can play. I don’t know if music fans still do this, but anytime there was a new band on the radio we used to hear from friends, “Oh, they sold out to be popular. They used to be good.” So then, you’d get to feel bad twice. First, you missed them when they used to be cool, and second, you were a complete goober for thinking that their latest, greatest was good. Bands like Nirvana spent their whole career looking over their shoulder and living with the fear that someday someone might say, “Yeah–they sold out to be popular–they used to be good.” We know how that one ended. Lounge Act.

In these days of bonus tracks and archival box sets, it’s never been easier than ever to delve into your favorite group’s prehistory. Here’s an example.

The Cars–class of 1978. They had thick harmonies and were what we were calling ‘new wave’–basically thin ties and a tendency for using drum machines–punk without anger. My friend Jeff said he knew someone from Boston–the band’s hometown–and they used to be good. Whatever you think of the band they became, in these modern times we have evidence to back his claim. With the reissue of their first album came a second disc of demos from when they were a Boston-area up-and-comers with radio support and without a record contract.

Listening now–I have to agree–they used to be much cooler when they were fresh. The effect is most pronounced in three of the demos–”Bye Bye Love,” “All Mixed Up,” and the outtake “Take What You Want.” If you remember the band, imagine them without the stacked harmonies and unchanging tempos. Then put yourself into the guitarist’s amplifier. It’s fair to say that the slick vocals are what put the band on the radio back in the day. Hearing them raw accentuates the outsider’s edge they lost to their fancy brand name record producer. Yup, it’s true, they used to be cool.

Who else used to be cool? Sting? Really? Kenny Rogers? Ho ho! Phil Collins and Genesis? Would you believe? Lionel Ritchie?

So who do you think is among the formerly cool? Always was lame? Who has managed to ‘not sell out’?

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. This is the beginning of our Veterans Day holiday, expanded in America to honor all veterans in 1954. It is important to remember our vets, but we should also remember that armistice of 1918, and the reasons nations chose to remember that hour, day, and month.

After the war, it was popular to refer to World War I as  ‘the war to end all wars.’ This was, of course, before World War II. World War I was raging for three years before America joined the war effort in 1917. When it started in 1914, Britain and France and their colonies plus every country tied to them by treaty fought against Germany and Austria-Hungary and their colonies plus every country tied to them by treaty. It was truly a world war. Before fresh American troops broke the stalemate, the better part of a generation of young men in Europe were dead.  According to Wikipedia, Germany lost 15.1% of its active male population, Austria–Hungary lost 17.1%, and France lost 10.5%.

Both sides stooped low. Unrestricted submarine warfare expanded the theater of war to any ships on the ocean.Trench warfare reduced men to living in holes, fighting for inches. For the first and only time nations used biological warfare on a large scale. Civilians starved. We rightly remember September 11, where we lost 3,000.  The warring nations in WWI lost 1.5 million men during the three-and-a-half month Battle of the Somme alone. By the end of the war, 15 million were dead.

By the time the nations signed the last peace treaty, there was revolution in Russia, the German Kaiser was forced to abdicate, and the centuries-old Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires were gone. Those treaties set the seeds for the Second World War and the cold war that followed, but nations recoiled from the all-out war of WWI. Europe is now economically united and that kind of war now seems unthinkable.

The significance of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was meant to remind the world that peace arrived at the last possible moment and only just in time.

Want to know more? Try World War I by H.P. Willmott; the DVD History of World War I: America Goes Over; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918, World War I and its Violent Climax by Joseph Persico; or the classic novel describing the hopelessness of that war, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. The last is required reading, but read it anyway.

When dead bodies start showing up in the world of fiction, there is no shortage of investigators capable of handling the situation. However, when the victims appear to have been dispatched by some sort of supernatural being, there is only one sleuth who will do. Nobody can handle the paranormal like special agent Pendergast of the FBI, who uses science to bring these “other-worldly” villains to justice.

Authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child accomplish the difficult task of mixing the realms of science and the supernatural to create books that are thrilling, mysterious and adventurous. And there are always quirky characters, none more so than Pendergast himself. Try one and you will probably be hooked, just like me.

Relic
Reliquary
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Still Life With Crows
Brimstone
Dance of Death
Book of the Dead
The Wheel of Darkness
Cemetery Dance

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects 24 million children and adults. Additionally, 57 million Americans are at risk for Type 2 diabetes, and one out of  every three children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue. November is National Diabetes Month. It is very important that the public has access to information and is educated about this serious disease.

SJCPL has medical and cook books in the collection that will help you understand and manage this serious disease. For additional information, these links will be beneficial:  Mayo Clinic, Medline Plus and WebMD.

Also, take a look at our National Diabetes Month display on the mobile kiosk, located on the 1st Floor.