Pick of the Week

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

by Sam Kean

The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in this book follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark buried mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in The Disappearing Spoon.

Website of the Week

ChemiCool Periodic Table

This neat site is an interactive periodic table providing in-depth information on every element. Just click on any element in the periodic table, and you will be taken to a page for that element, complete with atomic information, photos, characteristics of the element, and even embedded videos. The site also features a searchable Chemistry Dictionary, as well.

Today at the Library (11/15/10)

Storytimes
Richard S. Gillis, Jr.,/Ashland Branch Library
Mother Goose Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Toddler Storytime 10:45 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
King William County
King's Grant (McKendree Church) 11:00 - 11:30 (see map)
Marle Hills (Oxford Lane) 11:45 - 12:30 (see map)
McCauley Park 1:30 - 2:00 (see map)
Fun Farm (Commons Park Drive) 2:30 - 3:30 (see map)

Today at the Library (11/13/10)

Programs & Events
West Point Branch Library
Second Saturday Matinee
Saturday November 13 at 1:00 p.m.
All ages.
See a great movie about toys at the library.
Refreshments served. Sponsored by the Friends of the West Point Library.

Today at the Library (11/12/10)

Storytimes
Hanover Branch Library
Family Storytime 10:45 a.m.

Rockville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:45 a.m.

West Point Branch Library
Family Storytime 11:00 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
King & Queen County Library
Scott’s Store (Walkerton) 10:30 - 11:00 (see map)
King & Queen Senior Ctr. (Bethlehem Baptist Ch., Rt. 14) 11:15 - 11:45 (see map)
King and Queen Courthouse (Rt. 14) 1:15 - 2:00 (see map)

Programs & Events
Mechanicsville Branch Library
Family Movie Night
Friday November 12 at 6:00 p.m.
See a great family movie about toys who who have many adventures on their way to new home. (This is a change)
Refreshments served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mechanicsville Library.

Cochrane Rockville Branch Library
Teen Movie Night
Friday November 12 at 5:30 p.m.
Join your fellow Hogwarts fans for a costume contest, dinner, and a movie. Take a look back as we get ready for the latest installment of our favorite movie series.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Rockville Library.

Today at the Library (11/11/10)

Storytimes
Atlee Branch Library
Mother Goose Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Family Storytime 10:45 a.m.

Goochland Branch Library
Preschool Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Mother Goose Storytime 11:00 a.m.

King & Queen Branch Library
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Mechanicsville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
Hanover County
Kiddie Kingdom (813 Thompson Street) 9:30 - 10:45 (see map)
Bundle of Joy Day Care (3322 King's Charter Dr.) 11:00 - 11:45 (see map)
The Pines at Cold Harbor (Stonewall Pkwy.) 1:30 - 2:15 (see map)
All Aboard Child Dev. Center (7147 Stonewall Pkwy.) 2:30 - 3:15 (see map)

Programs & Events
Lois Wickham Jones/Montpelier Branch Library
Read to Sam
Thursday November 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Meet Sam the Dog and read your favorite story to him. Sam loves books and children!

All branches of the Library will be open today. Remember our veterans and all they have done for us this Veteran's Day.

Today at the Library (11/10/10)

Storytimes
Atlee Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.

Goochland Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 11:00 a.m.

Mechanicsville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Lois Wickham Jones/Montpelier Branch Library
Mother Goose 9:15 a.m.
Family Storytime 10:00 a.m.

Upper King William Branch Library
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Mother Goose Storytime 11:30 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
Goochland County
Salem Pre-School (Salem Baptist Ch., Cardwell Rd.) 10:00 - 11:30 (see map)
Elk Hill Farm 12:45 - 1:45 (see map)
Courthouse Commons Shopping Center 2:15 - 3:15 (see map)

Today at the Library (11/9/10)

Storytimes
Richard S. Gillis, Jr.,/Ashland Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.

Mechanicsville Branch Library
Mother Goose 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:45 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.
Family/Bedtime Storytime 6:45 p.m.

Bookmobile Stops
Hanover County
Atlee Christian Academy (8391 Atlee Rd.) 9:15 - 10:30 (see map)
Rainbow Station (8218 Atlee Road) 10:35 - 11:15 (see map)
Toddler University (Rt. 301) 11:30 - 12:30 (see map)
Covenant Woods (7090 Covenant Woods Drive) 2:00 - 2:45 (see map)

Programs & Events
Mechanicsville Branch Library
Computer Basics II Class
Tuesday November 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Want to learn more about computers? We can help!
Find out how to do basic tasks in Microsoft Word and how to use Internet Explorer to surf the web.
This class is full, but you can call (804) 746-9615 or visit the library to get on a waiting list for future classes .

Today at the Library (11/8/10)

Storytimes
Richard S. Gillis, Jr.,/Ashland Branch Library
Mother Goose Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Toddler Storytime 10:45 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
King William County
Guardian Angels (2372 King William Road) 9:45 - 10:15 (see map)
Rehoboth Baptist Church (5904 Acquinton Church Rd.) 10:45 - 11:15 (see map)
Mattaponi Indian Reservation (Rt. 640 to Rt. 625) 1:45 - 2:30 (see map)
King William Courthouse (Rt. 30) 2:45 - 3:15 (see map)

Pick of the Week

You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story

byAnnabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn

In this hilarious and ultimately moving memoir, comedians and real-life married couple Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn prove that in marriage, all you need is love—and a healthy dose of complaining, codependence, and pinot noir. After thirteen years of being married, Annabelle and Jeff have found “We’re just not that into us.” Instead of giving up, they’ve held their relationship together by ignoring conventional wisdom and fostering a lack of intimacy, by using parenting as a competitive sport, and by dropping out of couples therapy. The he-said/she-said chronicle of their intense but loving marriage includes an unsentimental account of the medical odyssey that their family embarked upon after their infant son was diagnosed with VACTERL, a very rare series of birth defects. Annabelle and Jeff’s unforgivingly raw, uproariously funny story is sure to strike both laughter and terror in the hearts of all couples (not to mention every single man or woman who is contemplating the connubial state). Serving up equal parts sincerity and cynicism, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up is a laugh-out-loud must-read for everyone who has come to realize that being “in love” can only get you so far.

Website of the Week

Animal Corner

Animal Corner is a large and continually expanding encyclopedia featuring mammals, birds, insects, marine life and reptiles from around our planet. Students are able to use the search facilities to find information on an animal they are discovering. The animal features include animal photographs and extensive information on their habitats, behaviour, reproduction and more. Animal Corner has information on endangered animals including their history and scientific classification. Natural history is also featured on many animals.

Today at the Library (11/5/10)

Storytimes
Hanover Branch Library
Family Storytime 10:45 a.m.

Rockville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:45 a.m.

West Point Branch Library
Family Storytime 11:00 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
King & Queen County
Kiddie Korner (Rt. 629, Walkerton) 10:00 - 11:15 (see map)
Bruington Baptist Church (Rt. 14) 11:30 - 12:00 (see map)
Walkerton Post Office 1:15 - 2:30 (see map)

Today at the Library (11/4/10)

Storytimes
Atlee Branch Library
Mother Goose Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Family Storytime 10:45 a.m.

Goochland Branch Library
Preschool Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Mother Goose Storytime 11:00 a.m.

Mechanicsville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
Hanover County
Goddard School (Old Hickory Rd.) 9:45 - 11:30 (see map)
New Hanover Christian School (10058 Chamberlayne Rd.) 1:00 - 2:00 (see map)
Bon Secours Child Care (8210 Meadowbridge Rd.) 2:30 - 3:30 (see map)

Changes to Library Online Databases Effective Nov. 3

Starting today, you will notice a few changes to our databases when you visit either of our database pages (by subject) or (alphabetically). Database and other online resource descriptions have been rewritten or moved to make finding what you need easier

As of today, we no longer subscribe to the Testing & Education Reference Center. If you are looking for college & career advice or test prep resources, try our Testing Preparation pathfinder.

Our newest database is Newsbank, an easy-to-search database containing electronic editions of local, regional, and national U.S. newspapers. Each paper provides local and regional coverage of companies, politics, sports, industries, cultural activities, and more. Paid ads are excluded. Local papers included in NewsBank are the Goochland Gazette (full text from 12/6/2006), the Mechanicsville Local (full text from 3/6/2007), and the Richmond Times-Dispatch (full text from 1985).

Go to NewsBank in the Library or from Work Home or School
Remember to have your library card number handy if you are using NewsBank outside of the library.

If you have any questions about these changes or any of the library's databases and other online resources, please email ask@pamunkeylibrary.org or see a staff member.

Today at the Library (11/3/10)

Storytimes
Atlee Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.

Goochland Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 11:00 a.m.

Mechanicsville Branch Library
Toddler Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Lois Wickham Jones/Montpelier Branch Library
Mother Goose 9:15 a.m.
Family Storytime 10:00 a.m.

Upper King William Branch Library
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m.
Mother Goose Storytime 11:30 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
Goochland County
Bundle of Joy Day Care (74 Plaza Drive) 10:15 - 11:30 (see map)
Broadview Shopping Center 1:45 - 2:30 (see map)
James River Estates (East Brook Run Drive) 3:00 - 3:30 (see map)

Today at the Library (11/2/10)

Storytimes
Mechanicsville Branch Library
Mother Goose 10:00 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 10:45 a.m.
Family Storytime 11:15 a.m.
Family/Bedtime Storytime 6:45 p.m.

There will be no Storytimes at the Ashland Branch Library today because it is a polling station. The library will be open from 10-6 today.

Bookmobile Stops
Hanover County
Advent Day Care (Advent Christian Church, Studley Road) 9:45 - 10:45 (see map)
Liberty Christian School (8094 Liberty Circle) 11:00 - 11:45 (see map)
Christian Village (Lee Davis Rd.) 1:30 - 2:15 (see map)
Minnieland Private Day School (7386 Creighton Pkwy.) 2:30 - 3:15 (see map)

Pick of the Week

Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World

by Peter Chapman

In this powerful and gripping book, Peter Chapman shows how the pioneering example of the importer United Fruit set the precedent for the institutionalized greed of today's multinational companies. The story has its source in United Fruit's nineteenth-century beginnings in the jungles of Costa Rica. What follows is a damning examination of the company's policies: from the marketing of the banana as the first fast food, to the company's involvement in an invasion of Honduras, a massacre in Colombia, and a bloody coup in Guatemala. Along the way the company fostered covert links with U.S. power brokers such as Richard Nixon and CIA operative Howard Hunt, manipulated the press (that later backfired), and stoked the revolutionary ire of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Chapman weaves a dramatic tale of big business, deceit, and violence to show how one company wreaked irrevocable havoc in the "banana republics" of Central America, and how terrifyingly similar the age of United Fruit is to our age of globilization.

Website of the Week

Aviary

Aviary is a powerful suite of browser-based design tools intended to help you express your creativity. For instance, it allows you to apply effects and filters to your photos, or to create new images from scratch. It also has an application that allows you to remix or edit audio tracks, and it even has an application that lets you simulate dozens of musical instruments to make your own music or ringtones. There are videos and tutorials that show you how to use the different tools that are provided, and you can browse the different things that people have created. And best of all, it's free to use, and free to create an account!

Today at the Library (11/1/10)

Storytimes
Richard S. Gillis, Jr.,/Ashland Branch Library
Mother Goose Storytime 10:00 a.m.
Toddler Storytime 10:45 a.m.
Preschool Storytime 11:15 a.m.

Bookmobile Stops
King William County
King's Grant (McKendree Church) 11:00 - 11:30 (see map)
Marle Hills (Oxford Lane) 11:45 - 12:30 (see map)
McCauley Park 1:30 - 2:00 (see map)
Fun Farm (Commons Park Drive) 2:30 - 3:30 (see map)

Today at the Library (10/30/10)

Programs & Events
Atlee Branch Library
The Friends of the Atlee Library Halloween Book Sale and Raffle
Saturday October 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Choose from a great selection of books and other items at bargain prices! All hardback books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes and books on tape are only a $1.00. All paperback books are fifty cents. Buy a Friends’ book/tote bag for $10.00 and it to the brim for FREE!

Receive $1.00 off your Book Sale purchase for each nonperishable food item, toiletry item, paper goods, and household product you bring for the Mechanicsville Churches Emergency Functions (MCEF). A cart for collection for MCEF will remain in the library through December.

During the Book Sale, you can buy tickets for two items to be raffled at the Sale. Raffle tickets for each item are $1.00. The winner of each raffle will be drawn on Saturday, October 30 at 3:00 p.m. You do not have to be present to win. All proceeds from the Halloween Book Sale and the raffles directly benefits the Atlee Library!

If you are interested in helping with the Book Sale or purchasing a raffle ticket, please call Betty Britton Johnston at 746-5036, Marion Lacker at 994-2127, or Mary Ann Ney at 550-0513.