2011 off to good start with lots of activites at library

With a record breaking 35,571 library materials checked out in November; with enthusiastic library folk ready and able to assist and answer just about any question, with Library Director Sara Jones optimistic and determined to create even more community collaborations and partnerships; 2011 inaugurates a bright future and even more reasons to check out the library.

Activities from Jan. 9-23:

• Local author and historian Eileen Cohen will visit the library auditorium at 3 p.m. Jan. 12 for a presentation and book signing of "Old Empire City, Ormsby County." Many residents have lived in the area long enough to be considered "locals," but Cohen has captured a unique aspect of our history.

There is limited Internet information on the topic (the only reference I could find was from a book written in 1912), so attending this program could be the perfect chance to learn more about yesteryear Nevada.

• Storytime is back and better than ever. After a holiday hiatus, storytime resumes on Wednesdays and Thursdays (Jan. 12-13 and 19-20 at 10:15 and 10:45 a.m., and a bi-lingual story time returns at 6 p.m. Jan. 20.)

What better way to spend a winter morning than interacting with other families, listening to stories and songs, and sharing in fun, educational activities?

• Children also can participate in Love on a Leash, from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, and read to specially trained therapy dogs. All those attending will receive a free book to take home or share with friends.

• The ever popular Lego Club meets in the auditorium, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 22. With a wide range of difficulty, the available Lego sets engage more and more participants each month. Sign up early, because space is limited to the first 50 who sign up.

Books to read and ways to read them

A Playaway is yet another clever way to "read" a book while you take a walk, relax while riding in a car or plane, or when you need an alternative to the printed/e-reader page.

This all-in-one audiobook is smaller than a deck of cards and contains the entire text. All that is necessary is a set of earphones and possibly a AAA battery. After scanning a wide variety of titles for all ages, Nathaniel Philbrick's "The Last Stand" seems like the perfect choice. Listening to an impartial accounting of the Battle of the Little Big Horn and its principal combatants imparts a new, exciting take on one of the major events in America's history.

Browsing the New Books shelves near the library entrance always provides one or two must-reads. "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," the first novel by author Helen Simonson and Amazon's Book of the Month in March 2010, is a gem of a story.

Pettigrew, a traditional English gentleman in a small village, and Jasmina Ali, a Pakistani widow, find camaraderie and romance while dealing with traditions, culture, family relationships, manners and life in an ever-changing world.

• Sandy Foley is vice chairperson for the Library Board of Trustees.