Cookbook Club Favorites

The Cookbook Club has been meeting at Kirtland Public Library since June, 2012. We meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 pm, except for November and December. (For these months, we meet once in early December.)

So far we've cooked from 25 books and one blog!

Our top three favorite cookbooks so far:

We follow the Cleveland food blogger at http://thisgirlsgottaeat.com/ and were lucky enough to have her as a guest at one of our meetings! Check out this girl's delicious recipes today.  

We've sampled at least 150 dishes and shared many recipes, laughs, and tips. Of the dishes, our favorites have been twice baked potatoes, turkey sandwiches, tomato crostini, and chicken pot pie casserole.

Our favorite ingredients to cook with are chocolate, olive oil, vegetables, and pasta.

Here is a list of our favorite kitchen tools:

immersion blender

Vitamix blender

Kitchen Aid mixer

crockpot liners

good knives

cutting board

wooden spoon

See all of the cookbooks we've used at the Library's website: 

http://kirtland.lib.oh.us/content/cookbook-club-7

Want to start your own cookbook club? Grab some friends and a cookbook. The Library has cookbooks of all kinds!

Local Haunts of Kirtland

We recently had the Ghost Lady of Willoughby, Cathi Weber, come by to give a talk about some of the local haunts here in northeast Ohio, and it proved to be a very entertaining evening. She gave us a rundown of some of the various haunted locales that she has visited such as the historic Willoughby Coal Co. haunted by the Ghost of Don Norris, one of the business owners who was found bloodied and broken outside the coal company. She discussed the Fairport lighthouse and ghastly mummified cat who's ghost still scampers around its grounds, and the Lake County Historical Society, who's long time superintendent Mrs. White still tries to enforce the rules to would be ghost hunters who visit.

But surprisingly, out of all the local haunts that she discussed that evening, not one mention of any of the hauntings in the Kirtland area.  Seeing as Ohio is notorious for its haunted locales I did a little digging to see what haunts we were most known for, and there was certainly no shortage of them.

One of the first thing I dug up in my search was the Witch's Grave. Located on Hart Rd. in Kirtland Hills, the Witch's grave has an urban legend which says that if you stand before the grave and turn your back to it, it will encroach upon you. The lore is that the grave belongs to a witch who was punished for her crimes and buried off in solitude because they did not want her in their cemeteries. The reality is a bit less exciting, as it is the grave of a pair of settlers who traveled from Connecticut to here and were more than likely buried on the family plot. Still, local paranormal investigators have felt energies and experiences here.

Our next famous Kirtland haunt is one that is certainly popular with local teens. On Wisner Rd., off of Kirtland-Chardon Rd., you'll find a bridge on a private drive. This is one of the nation's many famous "Crybaby bridges". But special mention goes to this one because of the frequency of events people have reported here.

Supposedly, should you park on half of the bridge and roll your windows down, the sound of water from the passing river will start to be accompanied by sound of a child crying. This is a heavily wooded area so its host to all manner of sounds, but its very hard to deny the sheer number of cases who claim to have heard crying. I mention this one because it ties to one of Kirtland's most well know hauntings.

You knew this one was coming, but when people go to check out the Crybaby Bridge, they are looking for Melon Heads. There are various tellings of the legend, that in the 1800's a doctor by the name of Crowe (or Crow, Crowely, or Crowstein). The stories are mixed in the details, but they typically are based around the good doctor adopting a series of children who suffered from Hydrocephalus (taking water on the brain). Dr. Crowe would often conduct experiments on the children. Some say in an attempt to cure them, others say they were for.... darker reasons.

Supposedly after the death of Mrs. Crowe, the mother figure to the children, they became unruly and violent, and the ensuing scuffle resulted in a fire of the orphanage that saw the demise of Crowe. The children were assumed to be lost, but numerous sightings of them have been reported near the Crybaby Bridge and King Memorial Cemetery. Nearly everyone knows about the legend and there was even a film produced about it.

This is just a snippet of the various haunts I was able to dig up about our little area. There are a number of other haunted places and many many more around the state of Ohio. Many of them have been written about and are available through our very own library system. Everyone is encouraged to form their own opinions about hauntings,but the exploration of it all is what makes it fun and interesting. What local haunts do you know about?

What We're Reading Now!

Jamie: Bundori by Laura Joh Rowland

Bundori is the second novel in Laura Joh Rowland's historical mystery series featuring samurai detective Sano Ichiro. In feudal Japan, Sano is the shogun's sosakan-sama: Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People. In this book, he must find a serial killer who has been leaving clues in the form of an ancient war ritual: severed heads to nailed boards. The clues lead Sano to several suspects. The problem is, one suspect is the shogun's Chamberlain. The shogun himself has asked Sano to catch the murderer. Sano is torn between serving the shogun and serving justice. ​Sano's life is always in danger. Luckily, he has a loyal assistant helping him. A knowledgeable, scholarly elder, and deadly female ninja complete the cast. As Sano learns hidden secrets and narrows his list of suspects, suspense mounts.

This is only the second book about Sano but I enjoy reading about historical Japan and samurai culture and I love to see the character of Sano develop. His integrity and skills are admirable and I'm always cheering for him. Rowland's historical details are accurate and contribute to the story. The shogun of Sano's time is a real historical figure: Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. There are currently seventeen novels in the series, so there is still much to learn about Sano and historical Japan. (This series may not be for everyone due to graphic scenes and violence.)


Chris: Attack On Titan by Hajimie Isayama

I had a mystery lined up for my new post, but since this series is so hot right now and I'm apparently the sole anime/manga fan in Kirtland, I wanted to talk about this one.

Attack On Titan takes place in a Concentric city that is protected by three giant stone walls. For the past 100 years, these walls protected humans from monstrous humanoids called Titans. For youths such as protagonist Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Misaka, and their friend Armin, life within these walls are all they know and the peace from it. Until one day, a massive 50 meter tall skinless Titan appears above the wall and smashes a hole through it, allowing smaller yet incredibly deadly Titans to breach through. The ensuing chaos for escape is gruesome as the Titans begin to tear apart and devour humans. People are evacuated to the inner walls, but not without Eren losing his family in the most brutal of fashions. Swearing vengeance, Eren joins up with the Survey Corps to leave the walls and take the fight to the Titans.

When I tell another adult I watch anime or read manga, I will occasionally get a scoff, an eyeroll, or am told that cartoons are for kids. This series is decidedly not for kids, and I challenge readers to give it a try. It has drama, betrayal, mystery, gruesome combat, and for the most part moves at a fast pace. You could tear though 3 volumes of these graphic novels in less than an hour, so there is no reason not to give it a shot.


Maria: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never left her tiny village. Recently let go from her waitressing job at the Butter Bun Cafe, she finds she needs a job fast because her parents rely on her paychecks. So when the job center recommends Lou try for a job as a caretaker for a quadriplegic, she reluctantly goes for the interview. Lou's interview takes her to the affluent side of town, to the Traynor family mansion. They are moneyed and infamous in Lou's small town, but she never knew about the troubles they've had at home . . . the eldest Traynor child, Will, was in an accident two years ago that has left him a quadriplegic. He has movement of his neck, but minimal control of his hands and fingers. Everything else is paralyzed, and he is confined to a chair and needs 24/7 care, especially after a suicide attempt that put the family on high-alert. Mrs. Traynor is adamant that she does not want a nurse-maid for her son. She just wants him to spend time with someone who will entertain him and be companionable. Louisa is chatty and quirky, dressing in colorful tights and sparkly gumboots. She's just the sort of positive influence Will needs in his life right now.

But Will Traynor is not the easiest person to get along with. He's bitter and depressed - constantly reminiscing about his life `before' and `after' the accident. He used to ski, bungee jump, rock climb and just generally travel the globe looking for the next adrenalin-rush. Now he is chair-bound and suicidal. But Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living. Lou has six months to prove her worth to the Traynors and make a difference in Will's life. And what originally starts as an easy paycheck and cozy new job turns into a mission of hope. . .

Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—although heartbreaking, this book had me laughing out loud in many parts of the book. Great character development, great writing…what more can you ask for?

Artists in Novels

Since the publication of Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Girl with a Pearl Earring, historical fiction about art and artists has remained popular. The following titles are just a few examples of novels featuring artists.

Sunflowers, by Sheramy Bundrick is about the relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and a prostitute named Rachel, who becomes his model and his love during the final two years of his life.

The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland features lesser-known 17^th –century artist Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman elected to the Accademia dell’Arte in Florence. Vreeland’s other novels are also about artists and their work, including Girl in Hyacinth Blue (Vermeer) and Luncheon of the Boating Party (Renoir).

I Am Madame X, by Gioia Diliberto is a fictional memoir of Virginie Gautreau, the model for John Singer Sargent’s painting, Portrait of Madame X, which is featured on the book cover.

American 19^th-century painter Mary Cassatt’s work is the subject of Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper, by Harriet Scott Chessman. Lydia, Mary’s older sister who was dying of Bright's Disease, was the model for a series of paintings reproduced in this novel.

The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal imagines the background story of Rembrandt’s first masterpiece, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholaes Tulp.

These titles and many more, including novels about Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, are available in our fiction collection. Please ask a reference librarian for more recommendations.

What we're reading now! {June}

In a new addition to our little blog here, we thought it would be fun if we shared with you what it is we are following from month to month. Could be books, could be movies, could be crafts or games. So as we roll through this hot summer, here's what we're read reading now!

Chris: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

As a child of the 80's and a guy who plays a lot of video games, I'm suggested this book often. It's 2044 and the world is basically falling apart. There are no jobs, less food, and even less space to live. The only solace many people have is in a virtual world called OASIS. Both the real and online worlds are sent into a frenzy when the game's creator James Halliday passes away and leaves his multibillion dollar estate and fortune to the one who can solve his game within OASIS by finding his three keys which open three gates. Five years pass with nobody finding a clue and people begin to question if there was really a contest at all.
 

Until an unassuming student named Wade finds the first clue and is ranked on the world leader board. Now it becomes a race as he's thrust into the limelight and now pitted against his friends, idols, and people very willing to kill to get ahead. So now, just to survive Wade needs to use his knowledge of Halliday's passion for 80's pop culture and video games to get the jump on the rest of the world to be the first to find Halliday's easter egg. The entire world is an MMO (massively multiplayer online game), everyone in it is a player, and the real world is the prize. But when push comes to shove, is it really what Wade wants?

This one can feel like fan-fiction at times but the story is fun and really starts to sprint to the finish as you read along. Its a little thick with references but ultimately it was very fun to read.

Gina: The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

Set in a small town in the Ozark Mountains, The Weight of Blood tells the story of Lucy Dane, a seventeen-year-old who is searching for the truth behind two mysteries: the brutal murder of her friend, Cheri, and the disappearance of her mother when Lucy was a baby.

The story is told from alternating points of view, including Lucy; her mother, Lila; and several other main characters. At first I found this confusing, since the chapters narrated by Lila are set in the time before Lucy was born, so that the plot is not chronological. But telling the story this way allows the reader to feel more involved and to better understand the characters. Since Lucy never really knew her mother, the author allows Lila to tell her own story, and we learn much more about Lucy’s father and uncle from her point of view. As Lucy’s investigation broadens, she learns that there may be a connection between the two cases, and those closest to her may not be who they seem.

This is a suspenseful debut novel with fascinating characters and a descriptive setting. I look forward to her next book.


Jane:  Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

There is an anonymous quote that says "when a butterfly flaps it's wings in one part of the world it can cause a hurricane in another part of the world."  This is what happens when Dellarobia Turnbow finds a mountaintop covered in monarch butterflies in rural Tennessee.  Somehow the butterflies have gotten off their natural course.  Is it an act of God or is it global warming?  Whatever the cause, it is bringing scientists, environmentalists and gawkers to Dellarobia's mountain and creating havoc with her family.   Dellarobia's father-in-law wants to clear cut the mountain, for much needed money.  Her mother-in-law, Hester, is sure it's a spiritual sign.  For Dellarobia, the butterflies signify her desire to get something more out of life.

Kingsolver is a wonderful writer.  She brings people and places to life and subtly educates the reader.  

Turhand Kirtland

Our city's namesake, Turhand Kirtland, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1755 (the village of Kirtland Hills is named for Turhand's son, Jared Potter Kirtland). Turhand Kirtland was the resident general land agent for the Connecticut Land Company which sold parcels of land in the Western Reserve during the 1800s.

Turhand Kirtland

Turhand had nine siblings. His great-grandfather, Nathaniel Kyrtland, came to Massachusetts from England in 1635. Turhand began work by manufacturing carriages and stagecoaches, and acted in the provisional service of New York.

Turhand and other land agents formed the Connecticut Land Company and purchased the Western Reserve from the state of Ohio in 1795. In 1796, General Moses Cleaveland began a survey of this land. Two years later, the land was divided among the Connecticut Land Company stockholders by a draft. Turhand drew the township of Mecca, part of the township of Auburn, Poland, Burton, and 2,000 acres in Kirtland.

Turhand owned much of the township that was Kirtland but sold most of it and never lived there. He lived in Poland, Ohio with his wife, Mary Potter, and three children: Henry, Nancy, and Mary. (Son Jared remained in Connecticut to be educated. He gained fame as a physician, teacher, naturalist, horticulturalist, and ornithologist.) Turhand helped establish libraries and schools among the reserve, including Western Reserve College.

In 1798, Turhand, along with a group of surveyors and settlers, began surveying and laying out the townships. Turhand kept a diary of this time. You can read it here or you can follow us on Twitter as we tweet entries beginning May 12.

For more Kirtland history, check out A History of Kirtland by Anne B. Prusha or read 20th Century Memoirs of Kirtland, Ohio by Grace E. Parks which is available for purchase at the Library.

Books into Movies: Coming soon!

Here are five books you should read before they hit the big screen.

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  Sixteen-year-old Hazel is a stage IV thyroid cancer patient who has accepted her terminal diagnosis until she meets fellow cancer survivor Augustus Waters and the two fall in love, despite their inevitable fate.  This story is both hilarious and heart-wrenching.  Coming to the big screen on June 6, 2014 and starring Shailene Woodley.

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais.     When tragedy pushes Hassan and his family out of India, they eat their way around the world, settling in Lumière, a small town in the French Alps. The family opens an Indian restaurant that becomes wildly popular among the residents, infuriating their French rival Madame Mallory. After she wages a culinary war with the family, Mallory finally agrees to mentor Hassan, leading him to Paris and the launch of his own restaurant. The hundred foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires.  Opening August  8^th and starring Helen Mirren; produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

 The Giver by Lowis Lowry.  In this classic young adult novel everything is perfect:  diseases have been eradicated, everyone is equal and society is under control.  Each person is assigned a position in the Community and 12-year old Jonas has been named “Receiver of Memories.”  He becomes the receiver of memories shared by one other, “The Giver”, in the community and discovers the terrible truth about the Community.  Stars Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and Taylor Swift and will be released on August 15^th.

  Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.   When Libby Day was 7 years old, her mother and sisters were murdered in what was called The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.  After Libby’s testimony her brother Ben was sent to prison for the crime.   Twenty-five years later and needing money, Libby starts selling off family artifacts causing her to re-examine her memories of the crime.   The movie debuts on September 1^st and stars Charlize Theron and Christina Hendricks.  Flynn also authored Gone Girl which will be released as a movie in October, 2014.

 This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.   Judd Foxman’s father has died and his wife is having an affair with his boss, a radio shockjock.  Now Judd must spend seven days and nights sitting shiva with the entire dysfunctional Foxman family, facing the loss of his father, his wife, and dealing with family confrontations and longstanding  grudges.  The book is a very funny and emotionally raw description of love, marriage, divorce, family and the ties that bind whether we like it or not.  Starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey, this movie will be released on September 12^th.

NEVER ODD OR EVEN: Palindromes!

This week of April, every day is a palindrome: it reads the same backward as forward. 

4-14-14

4-15-14

4-16-14

4-17-14

4-18-14

The last palindromic year was 2002. The next will be 2112!

Palindromes occur in numbers, words, even sentences and music. 

Some palindromic words: 

racecar

repaper

rotator

Some palindromic phrases:

Step on no pets.

Some men interpret nine memos.

Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.

For more palindromes, go to http://www.palindromelist.net/.

Or check out some books on word fun:

For even more word fun, check out http://www.rinkworks.com/words/.

April is National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month, we have created some poetry of our own: 

Book Spine Poetry

Book spine poems are created by arranging related book titles to create a free verse poem

The boy in the snow
Cast a blue shadow
Below zero

College girl
The smart one
Nothing but trouble

A crowded marriage
My husband's sweethearts
Four wives

We also have a wide selection of poetry in our literature section. Whether you prefer classics like Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson, or something contemporary like Billy Collins, come check out a book of poetry this month.

Lapsit-What is it and why should I bring my baby?

Lapsit storytime is essentially a baby storytime for 0-23 month olds and their caregivers that lasts 15-20 minutes. Big brothers and sisters are welcome!

Lapsit will help parents/caregivers understand the importance of teaching their child early literacy skills beginning at birth. For years, babies were considered to be too young for the library. Programming was geared toward children aged 2 years and up because babies were thought to be too little to pay attention or even care. However, studies have shown that storytime helps children develop language and social skills. Babies are unable to make sense of what they hear at this age, but their brain still receives stimulation.  This early exposure to language will help them become successful readers and writers.

Our lapsit program uses a variety of activities, such as rhymes, puppets and instruments to foster speech development, songs, motor coordination, bounces, baby signs, and bubbles! The program is based on research which shows that children learn best through repetition and routine. In other words, children have more self-confidence if they come to storytime and know the songs and rhymes that are sung each week. It is also a great way to meet other new parents and have some bonding time with your child!

So if you have a little one, come to the library to experience our lapsit storytime and be ready to have some fun. We hope to see you there!  Every Tuesday at 10:45am from April 1 through May 6.

National Craft Month

March is National Craft Month. The Library is a great place to learn a new craft. We have books on all crafts from sewing to painting. We also have many crafting groups that meet here at the Library in the Community Room: Dreamweavers Basket Guild, Tuesday Threaders (Quiliting), American Needlepoint Guild, Cloth Souls Doll Club, Tri-County Artists, and The Paint Company.

Want to try your hand at a new craft? Here are a few enticing titles from the Library that are sure to inspire you:

The New Encyclopedia of Watercolor Techniques by Diana Craig & Hazel Harrison

Full color step-by-step photography of dozens of watercolor techniques.

The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book by Steven Tatar with Denise Grollmus

26 sweater patterns from the 1940s to the 1970s, adapted from the archives of Cleveland's knitting mill.

The Beader's Color Palette by Margie Deeb

Inspiration for beaders of all skill levels with many color palettes and design ideas.

Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule

Simple crafts for the home using repurposed materials.

The Big Book of Cross-Stitch Designs from Reader's Digest

Over 900 easy-to-stitch patterns in contemporary and traditional styles.









Don't forget, your library card allows you access to full color digital magazines on Zinio, including plenty on crafting:
https://www.rbdigital.com/kirtlandoh/service/zinio/landing?q=Crafts&mode=1


Get started today! Whether you're an experienced crafter or a beginner, March is the time to CREATE!


Let us know which crafts you enjoy in the comments!

These Friends Are the BEST!

The Friends of the Kirtland Public Library organization is about 30 years old and was formed to help support the Library and community.  The Friends played a key role in helping raise the funds for the beautiful library building we currently occupy.  

We continue this tradition by funding special events and   projects.  Some of the things The Friends have supported include the new sign at the driveway entrance; shelving for the Picture Book Room and for the mysteries and science fiction collection; The Value Line Investment Survey which provides information about companies and industries; entertainment for the Summer Reading Party; special concerts and speakers including Terry Pluto and Joe the Coupon Guy.

Funds are raised via an annual membership drive, quarterly used book sales, and our Annual Community Yard and Bake sale. The Friends meet on the second Wednesday of the month and the next meeting will be March 12 at 7:00pm at the Library.  Please join us – everyone needs a friend, even the Library!

2014 Board Officers

• Kent Packer – President
• Ginny Liddy – Vice President
• Phil Johnson -- Treasurer
• Jane Carle – Secretary

Upcoming Events:

April 9, Local Author Dan Ruminski will share stories about Cleveland’s history and the street called Millionaire’s Row.

May 2, Book Sale in the Book Cellar, 9am – 2pm.

For more information about the Friends of the Kirtland Public Library, please call the Library at 440-256-7323.

 

Be A Friend -- Join the Friends!

Staff Picks: E-books!

Most of the books I read are physical library books but the convenience of e-books keeps me reading more conveniently and widely. With e-books, I can read anywhere on anything--a desktop, laptop, e-reader, even my phone. And I can read books both old and new.

I read the following books as e-books. E-reading lets me read faster and has me reading books I wouldn't normally checkout!

A Feast For Crows (Game of Thrones # 4)

by George R. R. Martin

LIGHT READING. All of the books in the Game of Thrones series are hefty books. This book alone is 1,104 pages in mass market paperback; the trade paperback and hardback are 784 pages. That's a heavy book to carry around. I was able to download the e-book to my Nook which was much easier to tote and hold comfortably. The series reads quickly and is completely engrossing despite its long length. Start with the first book which you can check out digitally and read on any device.

Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

CONVENIENCE. This book is still popular even though it came out in 2012. When it still had a long waiting list last year, I just had to read it to find out what the fuss was, but I couldn't get my hands on a copy! Then I checked eMedia and found it available. I was able to read it quickly without waiting for the hardback copy to come in. It's nice to have options when you just have to read a book! The twists in this book will keep you guessing until the very end. Don't forget to check for a digital copy if the Library doesn't have a book you're waiting for.

North and South

by John Jakes

SEAMLESS READING. I've always wanted to read the beginning of John Jake's Civil War trilogy and I was surprised to find it available as an e-book. How refreshing that many oldies-but-goodies are now available digitally. Once I started reading, I was hooked. I had to have this book with me everywhere so I checked out both the physical book and e-book. I was able to read the e-book when I was out and about, and read the physical book at home which I left on the bedside table. That way, North and South was always available for me to read and I didn't have to worry about transferring it to and from my purse. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy and more by John Jakes. 

  

Bright's Passage

by Josh Ritter

EASY BROWSING. The e-Media website makes browsing easy and enjoyable. You can clearly see book covers and get a description of the book's content from the comfort of your home or any WiFi or Internet connection. You can browse and search by subject with just a click. I found this book just by looking at covers. This one drew me in so I checked out the e-book and was pleasantly surprised. This beautifully written story was sad, funny, and heroic all at once. 

Mind of My Mind (Patternist Series #2)

by Octavia Butler

BONUS MATERIAL. Octavia Butler is one of my favorite writers but that's not why I wanted to read this e-book. A "reprint" of the 1977 science-fiction, this e-book contains an illustrated biography of the author "including rare images from the author's estate." I had to check out the book and see the extra material, then I had to read the book, of course. Many e-books contain bonus material such as author interviews or reading guides which makes a digital checkout even better. 

Why not check out an e-book today? You'll be surprised by what you find!

You can access tons of e-books through our website with just your library card. CLEVNET offers e-books for every reader and device, and it is easy to use.

Reflecting on Presidents Day

Do you think about Presidents Day all that often? Or at all? To a lot of us, it basically means "Hey sweet, Abe and George got us a day off." I certainly was of that mind set. But how exactly did it come to this point?

Well, as it turns out when this holiday was created, it wasn't exactly ordained as Presidents day. Dating back as far as 1800's, the holiday was unofficially recognized as a day of observance for President George Washington. This was typically observed on his birthday of February 22, (although in actuality his birthday falls on February 11 of the old Julian calendar). Since Washington was considered to be the most important figure in American history, it became a federally recognized holiday in 1885, thus making it a day where business wasn't conducted.

In 1971, Congress decided create 3 day weekends, and an act known as the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act" was passed. Thish caused a shift of the official day of observance to make Washington's birthday to fall on the 3rd Monday in February. This ends up making the day fall between the 15th and 22nd, and thus never falling on Washington's actual birthday.

So how did it become President's day? Well despite up to 22 states recognizing Lincoln's birthday as a paid state holiday, it was never officially recognized as a federal holiday. There was a fear that it would be much too confusing to have so many holidays all fall within the same few days in the same month, as Lincoln's birthday fell on February 12th.

To address this, an early draft of the Monday Holiday Act contained a revision that would merge the two Presidents birthdays to one singular holiday, giving it the more unofficial title of "Presidents Day". While this is how many people refer to it, on a federally recognized scale it is still referred to as Washington's birthday. Although on a state level, some places recognize all 3 dates individual holidays (albeit not all paid holidays).

The marketing push for "President's Day Sales" didn't really start to kick up until as recently as the 1980's with more and more businesses starting to remain at normal hours to capitalize on the holiday. And outside of major federal services such as the US postal service, things like public transit now also maintain regular hours during this holiday.

So if you have the day off for the holiday, and want to learn more  about the folks who gave it to you, we've got a couple of suggestions that you may want to look into. For more about our founding father and some of his work you can always try:

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His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis

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.Writings: By Washington, George

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Or if you are more of fan of ol' honest Abe, we have a number of available items on him as well. Be sure to check them out as well as the many other selections you can find in the CLEVNET catalog.

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A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White, Jr.

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith*

(*May or may not be historically accurate)

From your friends at Kirtland Public Library: Have a great Presidents Day everyone!

Have you tried Zinio yet?

Zinio for Libraries offers full color, interactive digital magazines for your enjoyment.  You can browse through Kirtland Public LIbrary's collection of popular titles and check out the magazines you want -- with no waiting, no checkout period, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download!

You can download to your computer; PC or Mac. And, there are apps that allow  you to download to the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire/Fire HD, Nook HD/HD+, Windows 8 and Blackberry Playbook.

To use Zinio, go to the Kirtland Public Library home page, www.kirtland.lib.oh.us and click on Digital Downloads.  Then click on Zinio.  You will have to set up two accounts; a Library Collection account to check out magazines; and a Zinio.com Reader account to read checked out magazines via streaming online with computers and/or downloaded offline via mobile apps.  You must use the same email address for both accounts. When you set up your account, have your Kirtland Public Library card handy as you will need to confirm that you are a Kirtland Library user. 

Once you have set up your accounts, you can begin browsing our collection.  We have access to nearly 100 different magazines.  You can search by genre, subject, or title.  The magazines in the Kirtland Library collection are available at no cost to you.  However, Zinio has many, many other magazines available for purchase and you may find yourself in that part of the website. If you do, look for and click on 'your library' to return to the magazines you have checked out.

It's a little confusing, but worth the effort to set up the accounts.  We have a lot of great magazines available -- now at your fingertips!  Zinio is a product of RB Digital and is made available through the CLEVNET Consortium.

Please call the Library at 440-256-7323 if you have questions about Zinio, we'll be happy to help you.

Library Lover's Month and Children's Author & Illustrator Week

February is Library Lover's Month! This month, celebrate all libraries: public, private, and school. Visit your favorite library in February! We hope it's us!

This month is a great time to come to Kirtland Public Library: it's Winter Reading! Read at least 20 minutes a day and record your times. We'll be celebrating with a Popcorn Party on Friday, February 28 at 3:30 pm. Winter Reading is for everyone who loves libraries.

Are you a Library Lover? Tell us why you love your Library in the comments! Need ideas to show your love for libraries? Here's a few: http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/how.html.

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The first week of February is Children's Author & Illustrator Week. This week we celebrate 2014 Newbery Award Winner Kate DiCamillo for her latest children's novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.

Comic book-obsessed Flora saves a squirrel from a vacuum cleaner and helps him develop his super abilities in this cleverly illustrated story.

Kate DiCamillo is known for her earlier books Because of Winn-Dixie (Newbery Medal Honor Book, 2000) and The Tale of Despereaux (Newbery Award Winner, 2003).

She was recently named by the Librarian of Congress as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014-2015.

Read Kate DiCamillo's books and find other great authors and illustrators in the Children's department.