Cooking

I decided I needed some new recipes, but wasn't even sure what I was looking for, so I browsed the cooking collection at the library. Amazing! Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Low Cholesterol, High Protein, South Beach, New Beach -- Oops! That last one isn't a diet, is it? If it were it would undoubtedly be on the shelves. Want to plan a party, a special Thanksgiving meal, cook for friends -- there's a cookbook for you. Like Rachel Ray, The Barefoot Contessa or Martha Stewart -- there's a cook book, and most likely it's sitting on the shelves in the library. If for some reason we don't actually have the book (I simply can't imagine this!) then it can be requested through interlibary loan.

What did I end up with? Wiliams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining, 2008 Taste of Home and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2. I always wanted to try a version of Applebee's Honey Grilled Salmon.

MARCH

MARCH
Originally uploaded by monlib22

March by Geraldine Brooks is the Monessen Library's Book Club selection for this month. The book club meets on the second Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the library's meeting room. The next meeting is scheduled for October 9, 2009. Please join us.

Cooking Demonstration

Cooking Demonstration
Originally uploaded by monlib22

The Monessen Library will once again have a series of Cooking Classes that are open to the public. They will begin on Thursday, October 23 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and continue for four weeks. The topic for this year's classes is Christmas Cookies. Members of the library staff will demonstrate how to make their favorite cookies. Call the library to sign up for the classes.

New additions to the Career Corner

Job Searching or Preparing for College -The library has some new additions to their Career Corner section:

• The Big Book of Jobs (2007-2008) Edition by the editors of McGraw-Hill of the United States: Combines a concise overview of the job-search process with all the latest government statistics on more than 250 jobs.
• The Book of U.S. Government Jobs, 10th Edition: Where They Are, What's Available & How to Get One by Dennis V. Damp: Features all the information you'll need to find and apply for federal jobs including extensive guidance on writing federal style resume and Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA) statements.
• 2008 Edition of the College Handbook by the College Board: Includes detailed descriptions of all 3,800 accredited colleges in the U.S.
• 2008 Edition of NCLEX-RN Review and the 2008 Edition of the NCLEX-PN Review: Loaded with time tested strategies designed to help you pass the NCLEX certification for Registered Nurse and Practical Nurse.
• Conquering the SAT: How parents can help teens overcome the pressure and succeed by Ned Johnson and Emily Warner Eskelsen: Guide for parents that shows how we often undermine rather than encourage our teens' success on the SAT and what strategies will remedy the problem.
• Careers in the Environment by Mike Fasulo and Paul Walker: Gives you invaluabel tips for finding a job in one of the many areas that make up this diverse field.

Check out the DOK Library in Delft, The Netherlands!

The DOK Library in the city of Delft has billed itself , "The most modern library in the world".

Take a look at the Flickr page showing photos of the library and see what they do that's so different from other libraries.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/sets/72157604142377648/

DVD's at the Library

The Monessen Public Library & District Center DVD collection includes:

• Feature Films
• Documentaries
• BBC programs
• Prime Time TV shows
• Children's TV shows
• Holiday themed movies and TV shows
• PBS programs
• Showtime and HBO programs
• A&E programs
• Foreign Films

You can find a DVD for everyone in the family!

Pitfalls

I searched for Pitfall Harry -- and learned that the game will soon be released. Yay! I'm not the only one who was nostalgic for Harry. The bad part is that now I have to wait until the end of the month to buy it -- if I remember! The early reviews don't sound bad, but the one thing that really caught my attention was the thought of swinging on the vine using the Wii remote. Now that could be fun.

In Search of a Wii

In December, I decided to buy a Wii. I finally got one in July. They're hard to come by and I wasn't actively looking, but when the opportunity to purchase one came up, I snatched it. By that weekend, my husband had bought the Brunswick Wii Bowling game. Each of my sons had bought a game and one of my son's friends loaned us a game. Now, I felt like I needed my very own game! I think the last vide game (that's a give away there) I played was Pitfall Harry on the Atari system. I started looking around the 'net to see what's out there. I found some amazing information -- but not much help in selecting a game.

Did you know that video games are actually educational? Nothing like sucking the fun out of things, is there?

"The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has proclaimed that kids need more, not less, vido games..." According to the FAS, video games "can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretive analysis, problem solving, plan formulation, and execution and adaptation to rapid change."

Now that you know game playing can be good for you, I've done my information bit. For now, I'm off to see if I can find Pitfall Harry among the old games from Nintendo. I'll probably have to settle for Donkey Kong.

Founders Day Flea Market and Book Sale

The Monessen Public Library is currently collecting flea market items to sell at its annual Founders Day Flea Market, Book and Bake Sale which will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The highlight of this year's Founders Day, which celebrates the founding of the city of Monessen, will be the visit of Tim Donner, the great-grandson of one of the original founders of Monessen. He will visit the library at 6:00 p.m. for a tea and reception organized by the Friends of the Monessen Public Library.