Breaking News

Lifestyle Columns

A Bicentennial Year

2026 marks two hundred fifty years since the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. As countries go, we’re relatively young in culture and identity. On the bright side, our form of government has endured for two and a half centuries – much longer than many other modern countries. As you think about the year ahead, consider some of these great nonfiction titles in our collection that can help you better understand, appreciate, or celebrate the events that started a nation. You may have seen them posted on a classroom wall or framed in a school hallway, but when was ...

Color combinations make for fashionable vases

Two-toned glass where one color shades into the other was fashionable in the late 19th to early 20th century. It started with amberina, which shades from red to amber and was made by reheating part of a piece of amber glass. Many companies made it, but usually under different names, since amberina was patented for the New England Glass Company. Other color combinations were made by adding a thin layer of flashed glass to the interior of a piece of transparent colored glass. Bluerina, a blue-shaded glass whose name is influenced by amberina, was made this way. Collectors use the name ...

Winter fun at the Library

Looking for fun activities this winter? The Library of Things (LOT) is an excellent starting point. Whether you want your children to learn new skills or are looking to boost family physical activity, many LOT items—available to check out 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. Explore the Library ...

Famed English pottery traces history to 1775

John Aynsley founded his pottery in Staffordshire, England, in 1775 and initially made earthenware. Like many pottery makers, his son and, later, his grandson joined the business; its name changed to John Aynsley & Sons in the 1860s. About that time, the company began making bone china. The company has been a favorite of the British royal family from Queen Victoria onward. In 1970, Waterford bought the company and changed its name to Aynsley China Ltd. It has changed hands again since then, but still operates as Aynsley China. An Aynsley teapot with a matching trivet sold at an ...

Music for All

If you want to know the rest of the story about some of your favorite musicians, please consider the following titles from our new nonfiction shelf. Don’t Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours by Alan Light (782.42 Light). The Rumours album became one of the most popular albums of all time, appealing to all ages. Take a deep dive into the history of this famous album. Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run by Peter Ames Carlin (782.4213 Carlin). You will learn the full story behind the songs, recording sessions, struggles and breakthroughs of this iconic ...

Poster provides glance into history of dry cleaning

This poster invites the reader to “Enjoy These Winter Days” with an illustration of a peaceful snow-covered path lined with trees. It’s not simply an encouragement to admire the beauty of nature, though; it also encourages the viewer to enjoy “your complete wardrobe dry cleaned in the modern manner.” The framed 48 1/2 x 28 1/2-inch poster sold for $65 at Ripley Auctions. As an advertisement for an unspecified dry cleaner, it suggests that its readers can enjoy the winter because of the convenience of someone else cleaning their clothes, and may also imply that the dry cleaner ...