Main Content

JCPL News & Views

Latest from all the library blogs.

sketch of a greyhound type dog superimposed on an astronomical chart

What are the dog days of summer?

Do you know the story behind the ‘Dog Days of Summer’?  Chances are unless you are a history buff, it’s not what you think.

orange and teal conversation bubbles above an ereader, vote now banner

Vote Now for the next Big Library Read

Voting is now open through August 10  for the next Big Library Read, where OverDrive features a single title for unlimited download for a three-week period, allowing everyone to read the same title at the same time.

cartoon of a cricket with a book

Jiminy Crickets! Check Out These New Adult Fiction Titles!

“Our menu options have changed;” the automated message is one that is a familiar sound when we make a phone call. Reading a Reuters article about ‘new’ items on the menu in Brussels, I realize that some changes are not always for the better.

International Day of Friendship July 30, 2017

July is a Great Month to Celebrate Friendships!

The United Nations believes friendships are so important that in 2011 the UN General Assembly proclaimed that a day be set aside each year to emphasize the importance of friendships.  The UN made this proclamation with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.  This year the day of cel

Looking for a Good Book to Read? No Appointment Necessary to Check Out These New Adult Fiction Titles!

Available by appointment only; we’re accustomed to hearing this phrase, whether it is to see the dentist, the doctor, get our hair or taxes done, or take care of some other important business of the day. We wrestle with what time is best, morning or afternoon, today, tomorrow, next week or next year.  “What works best?” the receptionist might ask.

Black and white photo of elderly gentleman reading a newspaper at a library.

Come to the library for books, news, facts

The other day someone asked about the rumors that our local grocery store (Rensselaer) might be closing. Fortunately, the library keeps several local and regional newspapers on hand and we were able to dispel the rumors with facts.

Photo of red train caboose parked next to yellow train depot.

DeMotte Historical Society Celebrates 20 Years in 2017

On Jan. 2, 1997 a group of individuals with the same passion for preserving the history of DeMotte held their first organizational meeting.  The first board members were Donna Lageveen, Jack Hart, Kathleen Van Der Molen, Norman Chappell, Irene Evans, Robert Cheever and George Konovsky.

Photo of a tired looking dog hiding under a book with glasses nearby.

Take a Break With These New Adult Fiction Titles @ JCPL!

“Get a puppy,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. And so, guess what I did? I got a puppy; a little fireball of a puppy who is a like a tornado, a whirlwind in constant motion.

All 7 pounds of her has me whipped by the end of the day. Always on the lookout for trouble, she is sure to find it, lurking in a corner of the house that I somehow missed.

graphic made of various words about poetry

Say hello to your inner bard during National Poetry Month

The celebration for National Poetry Month each April began in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets.

Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture.

Graphic of the pi symbol hovering over several hundred digits of pi.

Are you ready for Pi Day?

If you recognize the number or symbol in the graphic, then you might be among those who will be looking forward to March 14 when National Pi Day is celebrated. 

March 14 is Pi Day, a day to celebrate the mathematical constant pi (π) (and to eat lots of pie). 

Syndicate content