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Technology and the news

Algorithms, artificial intelligence, echo chambers, fake news, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, deepfakes, censoring, shadowbanning, doxing, mainstream, fringe, experts, fact check, misspoke, alternative facts, and many more terms are thrown around these days. It’s easy to feel confused, overwhelmed, desensitized, or just fed up with the flood of information sent our way twenty-four hours a day. There are so many voices all clamoring for your time, attention, information, and your money. In many ways, technology has provided tremendous benefits to our everyday life. ...

Early American glassmaking

With the invention of the mechanical glass press in the 1800s, the glassmaking industry moved away from free-blown, hand-decorated pieces and embraced new ways to mass-produce inexpensive decorative glass. But not everyone wanted to leave the old ways behind. Brothers Henry Thomas, Lorenzo, and William Elbert Clevenger were apprentices at the Moore Brothers Clayton Glass Works, where their father, William Henry, also worked. The Clayton Glass Works closed in 1912. In 1930, the Clevenger brothers constructed their own glass furnace in their backyard in Clayton, New Jersey. They used ...

Fun for summer! The New Ulm Public Library’s Library of Things

Looking for fun activities this summer? The Library of Things (LOT) is an excellent starting point. Whether you want your children to continue learning over the summer or are looking to boost family physical activity, many LOT items—available to checkout with your library card—can help you achieve your goals. Check out a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activity to strengthen logical thought processes and problem-solving skills or try a board game from the library’s extensive collection to stimulate the brain areas responsible for memory and complex processing. The ...

Different techniques make a difference in value

Spatterware and spongeware pottery are often grouped together, with the names used interchangeably. While they look similar, with color applied in patches of tiny dots instead of brush strokes, they are different techniques. As the names suggest, spatterware was made by spattering paint with a brush or stick or by blowing it through a tube, and spongeware features paint dabbed onto the pottery with a sponge or cloth. Spongeware is often considered a less expensive, easier-to-make version of spatterware. Spatterware and spongeware were made in England in the late 1700s, and in Scotland ...

Plant for the pollinators

June is National Pollinator Month. Please consider planting pollinator-friendly plants as you plan your gardens. Not only are they beautiful flowering plants, they attract birds, bees, butterflies and many other insects that pollinate. According to the National Wildlife Federation, pollinators are responsible for one of every three bites of food we take. Wow, that’s amazing! If you need some guidance about pollinator-friendly plants, the library can help. We have the following books on that very subject. “Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and ...

The monetary value of Stop Look and Listen

The words “Stop, Look, Listen” might evoke song titles, childhood lessons or everyday common sense. The phrase comes from the 1800s; specifically, from the advent of railroads. Railroad travel was revolutionary, but, like most emerging technologies, brought new dangers along with its advantages. It quickly became clear that some safety measures had to be taken to avoid collisions at crossings. The first safety precautions were simple signs. Today, the familiar design is an X-shaped sign reading “Railroad Crossing” and usually accompanied by flashing lights and alarms. Earlier ...