Have you ever had a meme on social media turn you into a keyboard warrior? Every few weeks I encounter some faded, black-and-white photo of an early form of bookmobile with captions like, “Remember when books came on buses?” or “Before Amazon, we had bookmobiles.” I instinctively lock my caps and I educate them:
“WE ARE STILL HERE!”
Of course, nobody listens and I just encounter another similar meme again a few days later. I suppose I should just relax and relish in the fact that the imagery of ancient bookmobiles and smiling children with their hands full of books fills so many of us with nostalgia and happy memories. But as a current bookmobile driver for the Daniel Boone Regional Library, I want it to be known that bookmobiles are not just part of our storied past. Bookmobiles continue to brighten our days and propel us into the future. Continue reading “Bookmobiles Are Still Here”
Beads can be used in so many creative ways: art collages, clay tiles and jewelry to name a few. Beads are inexpensive, easy to find and come in so many colors and styles. This month’s “Crafternoon” class is going to incorporate large beads to create an interesting macramé necklace. Macramé is really just a series of knots and patterns — anyone can do it. Join us on June 17 at 2 p.m. in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library to create your own piece of artistic jewelry. All supplies are provided. Please register soon as these classes fill quickly. See you on the 17th!
For more ideas on DIY macramé, check out these library resources and Creativebug our database on arts and crafts activities. View tons of creative ideas with instructional videos that are added to monthly. You will need your library card and pin (your birthdate in MMDDYYYY format) to use this database.
Our July crafting event will be on a Monday night and is based on a craft dating from the 15th century. Look for further details in the program guide, on our website and on social media.
Summer is unofficially here! We are swinging into the season and our communities are pulling together for a variety of different celebrations. These festivals often include art shows or vendor areas where artists get to display their artwork, like paintings, sculptures and photos. There are sometimes live performances as well. Our region hosts a number of art festivals and I’d like to introduce you to several of them, then also share a bit of resources we have regarding fine art.
Coming up on June 3-4 at Stephens Lake Park is Art in the Park, hosted by the Columbia Art League. Art in the Park, which originated in 1959, has become a cherished tradition and the largest fine arts festival in mid-Missouri. This annual event attracts talented artists from all corners of the United States, showcasing an impressive array of artistic mediums such as painting, drawing, photography, pottery, jewelry, fibers, sculpture, woodwork and glasswork. Continue reading “Art in the Park, Juneteenth & More Celebrations”
It being Spring, I’m digging and planting in my small garden out front of my condo. Past owners’ work shows up in the hostas that I’ve just about killed off (I don’t like them), in the misshapen Rose of Sharon bushes, in the landscaping fabric laid down possibly a decade ago and which I am pulling out as it gets in my way. Each year I put down more mulch to try to fight back the weeds, yet we still only have about three inches of sort-of-good soil over the clay backfill and it’s amazing how quickly the mulch breaks back down into lifeless dust. I’ve only had a butterfly plant thrive out there, and that only because it is planted up against the composter. So I am learning how to better garden this year.
There is information about native plants that thrive and soil-building here at the library, in our books, and also in our online resources. I’ve also used our library for a deep dive into travel writing, something I want to try this Summer. There are some great classes on photography, both for my travel writing and also for how to get great images for selling vintage online, maybe on Etsy. Do you have that sort of curiosity, always exploring and learning? Personally, I think no one should ever stop investigating the things they love. This is known as lifelong learning and is a handy skill for an adult to develop.
Lifelong learning is broadly defined as the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Library folk are usually passionate about providing you, our patrons, with as many opportunities for learning as possible. We love to share new offerings with you! Come up to any public service desk and we will help you find the best resources for your quest.
Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week is one of my favorite Columbia events, the time when our community celebrates what my husband and I try to do year round. We have attempted to build our daily lives around minimizing car use.
I’ve spent decades walking regularly, both for transportation and recreation. But lately I’ve been focusing on building up my cycling stamina with a specific goal in mind. I want to be able to accompany my spouse occasionally on his weekly rides to the Big Bur Oak in McBaine, where he takes a series of photos to document changes in the tree over seasons and years. The photos from this passion project of his can be seen at bigburoak.com.
Though I firmly believe ambling aimlessly with enjoyment of the moment is a fine use of time, I want to focus on a few books about folks who have a set purpose to their non-motorized travels. Continue reading “Bike, Walk, and Wheel With a Purpose”
Of course, I read “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad” in high school (do they still cover those these days?) and I even got through a few others like “Antigone,” but to be honest, I was not much of a fan. It was all about men doing manly things and often horrible things. The women were all witches or victims or passive wives and slaves. I didn’t find much in it that I could relate to.
Posted on Friday, April 28, 2023 by Reading Addict
“I was around so many professionals, I mean truly wonderful musicians, with Jerry that I didn’t’ have half the trouble being accepted as a lot of women had. I was at least accepted by the guys, even though they didn’t hire me for those jobs; many a time a drummer who couldn’t swing half as well as I could would be hired. Those kinds of things used to hurt.”
Dottie Dodion in “American Women of Jazz” by Sally Placksin
Imagine being a male trumpet player and being told that there’s already a male trumpet player in a band and having another one would just seem weird. Or maybe you have a band and you’re trying to apply to perform at a festival but you’re told that an all male band just seems wrong. These things seem ludicrous but these are often the situations (or worse) that female performers face. Women in the music industry face everything, from constantly being a minority gender in music spaces and the discrimination that is inherent with that, to being sexually assaulted. They have faced barriers in education as well as a lack of models and mentors and are shut out of “boys club” networking. They are caught between a rock (the confidence gap) and a hard place (being perceived as too bossy.) Continue reading “Jazz Women: International Jazz Day, April 30”
Do you know what guerrilla gardening is? It is the efforts by people to grow something on land that they do not own and without permission to do so. What is grown is either something to beautify, to eat, and/or to build community. It’s been around for decades under this name; it was probably called something else before the current itineration. You might be aware of the efforts of people like Ron Finley, who transformed the grassy areas around sidewalks into small gardens in his South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles. And then he got into legal trouble with the city. He’s fine, it’s fine, it all worked out and he went on to do much more. You can read about Ron Finley and other gardeners in “The Kinfolk Garden” by John Burns. Not all of the gardeners in this book are activists but they each are passionate about sharing their love of green spaces.
Just a reminder that there are laws about respecting other people’s property and I want to make this very clear: the Daniel Boone Regional Library is NOT suggesting that you plant sunflowers on other people’s property, on city or county property, or anywhere else unless you have permission to do so. Does the neighbor down the road have a fence row that would look great with some sunflowers cheerfully bobbing their heads? Ask before you plant, or gift them a packet of seeds.
I originally started checking out Memory Care kits to share with my mother who has Alzheimer’s but I discovered they are also appropriate to share with an aunt who is recovering her fine motor skills after experiencing a stroke, and my octogenarian father-in-law. They provide wonderful entertainment and conversation starters. I find sharing the books and activities a way to connect with each of them individually. My aunt enjoys the puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities as things she can do on her own in the evening. The “I Spy” bags are good for her to manipulate to gain more mobility in her hands. Continue reading “Spark Meaningful Connections with Memory Care Kits”
Photos courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation
A highlight of my daily life is watching wild creatures using my native wildflower gardens. An assortment of birds glean seeds from the flower heads during the fall and winter and forage for insects during the summer. We host American toads, at least four species of bumble bees, honey bees, and many other insects. Both hummingbirds and the hummingbird-like sphynx moth visit in search of nectar.
