Author: Peter Derk

Renewal Issue 004

Welcome to this, our 4th mini newsletter, Renewal!

Because HPLD items can be renewed 3 times in most cases, the format of this newsletter is one story, The Checkout, and three smaller news items, the renewals.

Nothing better than explaining the cute format you decided on three issues ago and are now stuck with, eh?

Oh, well. Onward!

Checkout: HPLD Wins Budget Presentation Award

Once again, for about the billionth time, HPLD has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association!

This is something we like to make a big deal about because it means we’re continuing to produce high quality reporting that follows best practices in budgeting and that we are being transparent with the ways YOUR MONEY is spent!

Congratulations, to, well, us, but also to you for being fortunate enough to celebrate with us!

Unfortunately, our plaque is packed away because we’re moving some stuff from our admin building right now, so please enjoy this photoshopped plaque, which is an unreasonable facsimile of the real deal, which we’ll dust off as soon as we’re re-settled.

Renewal 1: HPLD Friends & Foundation Awarded BIG BIG Grant!

HPLDF&F has received nearly $831,000 from The Weld Trust for a Mobile Workforce Unit for the High Plains Library District in collaboration with Employment Services of Weld County Weld County Government. The grant is the final key to the multi-institution Weld County collaboration to bring workforce development and employment services to those who need it the most in rural areas.

What does that mean, in regular language?

We’re going to build a custom, state-of-the-art vehicle loaded up with equipment and resources so that we can deliver training and expertise to some of the most rural areas we serve.

This vehicle will join the ranks of Great Vans of History, which includes the A-Team van, the Mystery Machine, and who could forget Tango & Cash’s battle van!?

Renewal 2: ReadCon is Right Around the Corner

Yep, we’ve got just about 2 weeks before ReadCon hits Greeley! It’s our most-star-studded ReadCon ever and the first one we’ve held in over TEN YEARS! It’s going to be great, and we need you to come out and support it so that we can host more events like this in the future. Register today, come in two weeks, buy snacks sometime in between. Because the only thing better than an author event is an author event with snackies.

Renewal 3: Ihatovo Monogatari

イーハトーヴォ物語 or Īhatōvo Monogatari, or Ihatovo Story is a game that was released for the Super Famicom (the Japanese version of the Super Nintendo) in Japan in 1993, and thanks to a fan translation, is playable in English as of 2018.

Ihatovo Story is an RPG, sort of. It doesn’t have the battling and leveling up you might expect from a typical RPG, and instead it’s a more cozy adventure that revolves around you, the player, helping the resident of Ihatovo, a pretty pleasant place, locate items or complete tasks.

Why is this in a library newsletter? The world of Ihatovo is based heavily on the works of Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa, and it’s one of the most direct book-to-game examples out there.

You can watch a brief synopsis here:

Or a complete playthrough here:

A to Z Food America: What Presidents Eat

It’s been my goal to tell HPLD users a little bit about all of our databases this year, and I’ve already found a doozy in A to Z Food America.

It’s a great source of information on things you’d expect, like recipes from specific regions and with certain ingredients, and that’s all fine (it’s GREAT, actually), but it’s not what intrigued me about the information that was presented to me.

So I bring you this brief tour of the weirder side of A to Z Food America, starting with a little American history.

What Presidents Eat

Under the Historical heading in A to Z Food America, we’ve got a section called “What did They Eat: U.S. Presidents.”

Besides being a bit confusing for me in terms of whether or not they should have a question mark in there somewhere, I was fascinated to find out not only some of the favorite dishes of Presidents, but some of the snacks and mealtime customs of each President (up to 2020, Joe Biden has not yet been profiled).

I started at the very beginning, a pretty decent place to start, and found out that George Washington did NOT have wooden teeth, as it was rumored, but did have dentures made of animal bone. Which is certainly more practical and also…a little weird, no?

Washington, I found out, wrote down a recipe for what he called “Small Beer” because it had a low alcohol content, and this recipe is still available for you home brewers out there. It doesn’t sound like the tastiest brew, IMO, but, hey, if it’s good enough for the first President, it’s good enough for me…to not make fun of anymore.

James Polk (President 11), was apparently one of the very few U.S. Presidents to ACTUALLY be born in a log cabin, and he brought with him to office his taste for simple foods, and he wasn’t a fan of the elegant, European fare that was all the rage in political circles. After attending an official banquet, he wrote in his diary: “I saw the food and I couldn’t tell what it was. It must have been French.” I feel you, Jimmy.

Ulysses S. Grant (18) liked the food he was served in the military, so when he won the Presidency, he brought an army quartermaster on board as the White House chef. Apparently, Grant’s wife gave the quartermaster a shot, but figured out pretty quickly that his cooking wasn’t so hot. She hired an Italian-trained chef, and allegedly Grant started packing on some extra weight, the food was that good.

Theodore Roosevelt (26) was known for drinking A LOT of coffee. This is a man after my own heart (palpitations).

William Howard Taft (27) had a dairy cow roaming around the White House for the first two years of his term so that the family had access to fresh milk and dairy products. Just in case this comes up at pub trivia some time, the cow’s name was Pauline Wayne. I can’t possibly imagine I’ll remember that name, but, hey, if you manage it, you’ll be team MVP for sure, even if the music round leaves you feeling old, confused, and a little frightened.

Jimmy Carter (39) made it legal for people to brew beer at home, which definitely paved the way for the craft brewing scene of today. Related to this move, a Louisville brewery created a beer for his brother, Billy, called Billy Beer. A quote from Billy on the label read, “I had this beer brewed up just for me. I think it’s the best I ever tasted. And I’ve tasted a lot. I think you’ll like it, too.” Funnily enough, Jimmy Carter did not drink alcohol, and all of his guests were served non-alcoholic wine.

Ronald Reagan (40) apparently took quite a liking to jelly beans, partially to help him quit smoking. He always had a jar on his desk, and he’d pass it around at the beginning of meetings. He had a standing order with Jelly Belly of 720 bags per month so that The Oval Office, Air Force One, and all cabinet offices were well-stocked.

George H.W. Bush (41) was famous for hating vegetables, especially broccoli, which his mother made him eat. At a press conference, Bush was quoted as saying, ““I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.” Which, fair. I guess if it takes becoming President to tell your mom that she can no longer dictate what you eat, he did it. White House staff characterized Bush Sr.’s eating as being like “a teenage boy” in that he’d wolf down huge portions and yet never seem to put any weight onto his slim frame.

Bill Clinton (42) was known for his love of fast food. He’s since gone mostly vegan, but in his heyday, he was known to often end a jog at a McDonald’s, so often that a McDonald’s in Arkansas put up a plaque in 2019, memorializing the location as one that Clinton often jogged to. I’ve been known to put away a burger, but I’ve yet to attain the status of, “We need to put up an official notice about this guy on the side of the building.”

Donald Trump (45/47) had a Diet Coke button installed during his first term, and apparently has had it reinstalled in 2025 as well. The button provides Trump an easy way to request that someone bring him a Diet Coke. These are the perks of having the biggest job on the planet.

There you have it, just a little roundup of some of what’s available on A to Z Food America.

It’s actually a super cool database. I hate to even call it a “database” because, to me, that sounds kind of boring, and A to Z Food America is genuinely fascinating, fun to browse, and something I’m super glad the library is able to offer.

Jack Outreacher Has Arrived!

Many of you are familiar with Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, either from the books, the Amazon Prime show, or possibly just from posters of the steamy Alan Ritchson. Hubba, and while we’re at it, a second hubba.

And I got to thinking…what if instead of being an ex-military guy of incredible size and strength…he was an outreach librarian…also of incredible size and strength?

Thus, I bring you:

Jack Outreacher Chapter 1: Checkout Floor

When Jack Outreacher rolled the bookmobile into town, he could taste trouble. Also dust. The bookmobile tended to kick up a lot of dust. Partially because while most of the bookmobile’s shelves were packed with new, exciting reads, Jack Outreacher liked to keep at least one small section of dusty old classics. Because Jack Outreacher was, himself, a classic in many ways. A fella who liked to work hard and get his hands dirty. Someone who didn’t take any disrespect, which rowdy groups of guys seemed to give him all the time in diners, a constant in his life that made no sense because if you were going to pick on a guy who walked into a diner, would you really select the guy who looks like he could disintegrate a 3XL Hanes Beefy T by thinking about flexing? I don’t know about you, but if it’s me we’re talking about, I’ll maybe pick a fight with someone who couldn’t bend an iron lamppost around me in a knot, Superman-style.

Outreacher opened up the bookmobile for business, and the large bus rocked from side to side as Outreacher stepped down the stairs. He’s big is what I’m getting at here. I know I’m supposed to “show, not tell,” but he’s so ridiculously big and strong that showing alone doesn’t cut it, and I have to break the cardinal rule of “show not tell” and instead “show AND tell” in order to give you some idea of just how massive this dude is.

As Outreacher stepped into the dusty parking lot, his feet cratered into the ground. It was, after all, only a parking lot meant to accommodate full-sized vehicles, not a man of Outreacher’s stature.

That’s when Outreacher spotted the bald, shining head of his nemesis.

“Outreacher,” the bald man called from across the lot.

“Beazös,” Outreacher said quietly. Quietly for him, but in reality the vibrations of his vocal cords caused a minor earthquake in Italy. Please donate what you can to aid in the relief efforts.

The bald man crossed the lot and stood before Outreacher. “Well,” he said, “This is a cute ride you’ve got here. I mean, I’m having a new reservoir built to fit my superyacht, but yours is nice, too. In fact, I think I’m going to build that reservoir…right…here.”

Beazös indicated the humble library outpost that Outreacher had constructed with his bare hands. The guy at Home Depot tried to sell him on a trowel to help him with the brickwork, but Outreacher found that if he flattened his hand, he could easily spread concrete. Plus, man had yet to design a trowel that didn’t break whenever Outreacher attempted to hold it gently.

Beazös went on, “I don’t think the library is of much use to folks these days. I can deliver them books in less time. Well, less-ish time, sometimes, and at a much lower price…than competing bookstores. The library is free, but still. Let’s say I deliver in ‘Less Time*’ with an asterisk. Outreacher, I think your days here are numbered.”

With this last statement, Beazös poked Outreacher in the chest, which immediately broke every bone in Beazös’ finger.

“Ow, that hurt,” Beazös said. “You’ll pay for that, Outreacher. You and your precious little library will pay for that…dearly.”

Beazös turned to walk away, then stopped and said, “Seriously, ouch, I think my finger is broken. How is that even possible? What ARE you?”

Outreacher sighed. He’d have to find a way to stop the evil corporate takeover using his librarianship and possibly his outrageously huge body and outsized strength at some point when the situation called for it. Which, let’s be real, it totally will because it always does.

Outreacher always wanted to respected for his mind, but when you can grab a full-grown man by one wrist and throw him over a modestly-sized shed, clearing the shed completely, it’s kind of a waste to never use that sort of strength.

Renewal Issue 003

Welcome to this, our mini newsletter, Renewal!

Because HPLD items can be renewed 3 times in most cases, the format of this newsletter is one story, The Checkout, and three smaller news items, the renewals.

Nothing better than explaining the cute format you decided on three issues ago and are now stuck with, eh?

Oh, well. Onward!

Checkout: HPLD Goes Viral

Is it safe to use the term “viral” now that we’re in 2024? The phrase “going viral” was REALLY not something you wanted to use too often for a few years there.

Anyway!

You might’ve seen your friendly neighborhood HPLD show up in any number of national and international news sources in the last week or so, (over)due to an item that was returned VERY late.

How late?

30-some years!

That’s right, a patron checked out this book, Psychedelics by Bernard Aaronson, in the 1980’s, and returned it to Riverside Library & Cultural Center last week.

Riverside didn’t even exist when this book was checked out! Although, in fairness, the only HPLD branch library this could’ve gone to that would’ve been in the same spot since the late 80’s would be Centennial Park Library.

We’ve gotten quite a few questions about this item, so let’s do a quick FAQ:

Q: Is the item going back on the shelves?

A: No, it won’t be hitting the shelves, and this is for a few reasons:

It’s not a book that’s really in demand. I mean, yes, this particular copy is now suddenly in demand, but not because of its contents, because of its fame. Which isn’t a totally invalid reason for wanting to check out a book, but we’ve got a better option (see item #2 on this list).
We try to keep our collection very current so that we’re presenting you all with the best possible information on a variety of topics. HPLD functions less like an archive, more like a current resource. No shade on archives, they have their place and their audience, but because of space constraints and the desire to make information-seeking easier, HPLD is more on the current information vibe. THAT BEING SAID, we offer services like Prospector and Interlibrary Loan so that you can acquire more obscure, older, historical documents and items that are of interest. These services are free, fast, and really great at hooking you up with hard-to-find stuff!
We are busily working on a new “institutional archive” that’ll hold items related to HPLD’s history, and this book is going to be a star attraction. This is a relatively new endeavor for us, stay tuned.

Q: What happens to super overdue items normally?

A: For the most part, items returned this overdue are not added back into the collection because they’ve either fallen out of interest, are outdated, or are something that’s a perennial favorite, so we’ve replaced it with a newer copy sometime in the last 30 years. Maybe replaced it a few times.

On the rare occasion we get something SUPER old back in the old book drop, usually the OUTSIDE book drop when it comes to stuff like this, we will usually look into the item a bit to make sure we’re not getting rid of an important, valuable, or super rare resource, then end up recycling them.

Q; What’s the fine on something like that?

A: It’d be something like $700-$1,400 dollars, depending on whether we went with a 5-cent fine or a 10-cent fine per day, or maybe did one for a little while, then switched to the other.

Buuuut, HPLD, like most libraries, stops charging late fees at the point where the late fee amount is higher than the cost to replace the book. It doesn’t really make sense to pay $700 for a book that we could replace for $15, right?

I mean, it’d be nice. If the funds went into a newsletter writer’s vacation piggy bank, the argument in favor of those high dollar fines could be made…

HPLD has been fine free for quite a while now. What this means is that you don’t get late fees for bringing stuff back late. However, we do still charge for items that are never returned. This has worked for us as a balance between not punishing people for late returns (most info on this practice shows it’s not effective in getting people to return things faster) and recouping the cost of items that never come back!

Q: Are you worried that all the fun around this will encourage others to emulate this behavior, returning books super late?

A: Honestly, no. A) Because the fun surrounding this is really about the fact that we all return things late, but the degree of lateness here is exceptional, so it’s about not feeling so bad about being a few days late here and there, B) It’s hilarious that this is a book on psychedelics, and the only thing that’d be funnier would be a book on time management, C) If someone checks out something today and returns it this late, I’ll be thrilled to simply have lived that long a life.

Q: How far did this spread?

A: Well, here’s a listing of some of the outlets that picked up the story:

Denver Post https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/19/late-overdue-pscyhedelics-library-book-high-plains-weld-county/

Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13227015/Book-psychedelics-returned-library-37-years-late.html

WSB-TV: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/library-book-checked-out-1987-returned-nearly-4-decades-later/CIRSCWAIWREIHDNEZFZKGWUDAM/

Metro: https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/22/psychedelics-book-returned-library-37-years-late-20511937/

New York Post: https://nypost.com/2024/03/20/us-news/psychedelics-book-returned-to-library-37-years-late-as-mysterious-note-apologizes-for-long-strange-trip/

Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/colorado-library-receives-book-37-years-due-long-strange-trip

Denver 7: https://www.denver7.com/long-strange-trip-library-book-returned-37-years-late-with-a-note

Axios: https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/03/20/overdue-book-returned-colorado-library-37-years-later

Greeley Tribune: https://www.greeleytribune.com/2024/03/07/events-taking-place-at-clearview-and-high-plains-library-districts-loveland-public-library-for-march-9-15/

KDVR: https://kdvr.com/news/local/colorado-library-book-returned-37-years-late/

Q: What has the book returner’s response been?

A: I couldn’t tell you! They’ve elected to remain anonymous so far.

But if you’re out there: We’ve all been there, and thanks for returning the book! Hopefully a lost book charge hasn’t kept you away from the library all these years, and if it has, shoot me an email (pderk@highplains.us), and we’ll see if we can’t fix the situation.

Renewal 1: HPLD Wins GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award…AGAIN!

That’s right, for the billionth year in a row, HPLD is proud to be awarded the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

Seriously, we’ve won this so many times that instead of sending us a plaque every year, we have a plaque with a bunch of spaces, and they send us a little metal tag to attach every year.

We’ve won this so many times that I’m becoming concerned about the weight of our plaque pulling down the entire wall it’s nailed to.

In all seriousness, what’s cool about winning this award is that it’s a demonstration that HPLD is taking budgeting very seriously, and we’re doing everything to be transparent about how much money we’ve got, how it’s spent, and what plans for the future look like.

Which matters because this is YOUR MONEY!

Can you imagine winning a budget presentation award every year for your personal budget? Maybe you should implement this in your house. Maybe it’d make budgeting a little more fun? Even if you weren’t super financially responsible this year, you could still win an award for reporting honestly and transparently just how much you spent on power tools you didn’t need, drive-thru coffee, and that gizmo that makes your kindle remote controlled so you can keep your arms under the covers and read without the hassle of lifting your arm. Seriously, it’s awesome, and I feel both deep affection for this device and revulsion at my own sloth.

Renewal 2: Dinosaur Bones Go Digital

Pretty soon, Experience Passes will be delivered digitally! That’s right, no more slogging your way through the real world in order to get your Experience Passes, now you can have them sent straight to your device, which is super convenient as you’ll need that same device to take great selfies at nearby museums and attractions.

Digital delivery begins April 1^st. No foolin’.

Renewal 3: Calling All Colorado Book Collectors Under 30!

Are you under 30? Do you live in Colorado? Are you a beginning book collector?

On one hand, that’s a lot of different circles to try and cross over each other in a Venn diagram.

On the other hand, this IS a library publication, so if you’re reading it, and you’re this far in, there’s a not-bad chance you might qualify for the Kirkpatrick Prize.

Taylor Kirkpatrick started the prize when he noticed the crowd at the annual Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair was starting to get a little younger. Taylor wanted to encourage young people interested in books to take a deeper dive into the waters usually occupied by old guys with elbow patches.

This article from The Colorado Sun is a great, wholesome read, and some of the booksellers profiled have advice for anyone looking to get into book collecting:

Collect what you love. For some, it’s the aesthetics, the love of Victorian bindings or beautiful floral bindings. Go after it with gusto. .
It’s easy to make bonehead mistakes; first editions mistakes; replica mistakes; Book of the Month Club mistakes that replicate first editions. You can get bit. When you’re getting started go to a bricks and mortar store. A lot of people think they’re listing something correctly on eBay and they’re not and some know it’s not what they’re selling. Find a reputable bookseller.
Remember it’s not about how much a book is worth…Books are important because they build bridges to other people and cultures. They were bridges for me in meeting other people.

Renewal Issue 002

Welcome to HPLD’s blog/newsletter/thing that we can use to spread the word about stuff we’ve got going on at HPLD!

Our first issue had a PRETTY awkward intro, but this one might have topped it.

Because items at HPLD check out and can be renewed 3 times, we’ve got a Checkout article for you, plus 3 Renewal articles.

It goes by pretty fast, so apologies to anyone who was hoping to burn a lot of time doing something “productive” while actually just relaxing and enjoying this piece of soft-hitting journalism.

Be a Part of Yes!Fest

We do a Yes!Fest every year, and every year we need a big ol’ group of community partners to come and set up interactive demos, exhibits, and other things that’ll help get young people excited about STEM (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for people who aren’t hip to the exciting acronyms flying around the educational world).

If you’re an organization that does stuff like this, or hasn’t in the past but would like to in the future, fill out this form, won’t you?

And let’s be clear: You don’t have to be a mathematician in a lab coat to get kids interested in STEM. Say you’re, oh, I don’t know, a local maker of Halloween props and displays and things. That involves electronics. It involves chemistry. We’d love to see your application come in!

Renewal 1: You Haven't Signed Up For Summer Reading Yet!? Wha!?

Okay, every year we say that this year’s summer reading is the best ever.

Well, it’s confession time: In the past, we were wrong. Because this year is DEFINITELY, TOTALLY the best summer reading yet.

There’s plenty of library fun to have this year, all of it free, all of it open to anyone from birth to the oldest person reading this right now (whoever you are, you deserve a trophy. And maybe an apology. You’ve made it through all these years just to read THIS newsletter!? Where are the newsletters about flying cars? Where are the jetpacks? Shouldn’t a lot of things that are not current flying be flying by now?).

Sign up! It takes like 2 minutes, and then you’re good to go for the whole summer! Hey, if you want to, count the time it takes to sign up as reading time. I won’t tell.

Renewal 2: LINC is open!

Yeah, you heard that right. Or read it. Depends on whether you’re using a screen reader or reading in the eyeball way.

We’re getting way off track: LINC Library Innovation Center is open!

It’s got maker services, it’s got a cool genealogy area, an incredibly, climb-able children’s installation, and it’s got an amazing table made from one of the oldest trees on UNC’s campus (felled because it posed a danger, not just to make us a rad table). Plus, it’s got all the goodness you’ve come to expect from a library.

This is the perfect time to come see what all the fuss is about. It’s still shiny and new, and the opening day crowds…well, we’re still getting a good number of people through the door, but the place is so MASSIVE that there’s plenty of room for everyone. Stop by today!

Renewal 3: Knowledge Share. TERRIFYING Knowledge Share!

In some online travels, I came across this series of videos by Ed Edmunds, creator over at Distortions, that walk you through all the steps to create your very own masks, gloves, and other monstrous props!

Not to alarm anyone, but we ARE more than halfway to Halloween, and Monster Day is coming right up!

If you haven’t gotten started on a costume for 2023, you’re still okay, but you’re cutting it close. Too close.

Renewal Issue 001

Welcome to HPLD’s new newsletter blog thingie!

Wow, that’s a very awkward introduction. “Welcome to the Newsly News, a New Newsletter Blog Newsed Up With News and New News!”

You know what? Just take our awkwardness as excitement, because we are excited, nay, pumped, nay, JUBILANT, nay, VERY EXCITED to bring you this, the inaugural Renewal

We love our current newsletter (and plan to keep it rocking!), and we thought maybe there was a need for something brief and frequent, something you could read on a break.

We’ll bring you some easily-digested book news, library news, general bookish stuff that library lovers will enjoy, get it down your gullet quickly, and have you on your way, refreshed and…renewed!

Easily-digested…gullet…this is what we get for working on this right before lunch.

Because HPLD currently allows you to check out an item and renew it three times, we’ll have 4 sections to each newsletter: Checkout, Renewal 1, Renewal 2, and Renewal 3.

Without further ado:

Checkout: Reading is Precious. Are Books?

You might’ve read Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s piece about book collecting (or hoarding, it’s all perspective) in The Guardian this week, but did you read it under its original headline:

Reading is precious – but the cult of book ownership can be smug and middle-class

Or the revised headline:

Reading is precious – which is why I’ve been giving away my books

To be fair, the revised headline is probably more in line with the article’s central argument, which is that owning a lot of books isn’t for everyone, and sometimes it’s easy to get trapped into thinking that owning a lot of books is what the cool kids do.

If only there were some place where you could have the best of both worlds…some sort of…book…place where you could ACCESS an unlimited number of books without the need to build so much shelving…and it could be FREE!

Okay, that’s going too far into fantasyland.

Renewal 1: Build a Better Bookshelf

Lots of bookish people have lots of varying opinions on bookshelves, but for fans of woodworking, there’s ONE opinion on Tom Silva: He’s the woodshop dad we all wish we’d had…

Of the DIY bookshelves out there, Tom’s stair tread bookshelf for This Old House is one of the best. It’s not too tough for beginners, the materials are relatively cheap, and the end result looks pretty darn good.

How do we know? Because one of us built it! And it’s beautiful. It’s received many compliments, and it really, in Big Lebowski speak, ties the room together.

Learn how to make yours here.

Renewal 2: Chat With a Book

Wait, what?

Yes, thanks to AI, now you can type questions to a book and get an actual answer.

And the answers are pretty good!

Ask Alan Moore’s Writing For Comics the difference between plot and story. Ask Where the Red Fern Grows whether the dog dies (yes, sadly). Ask Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog whether the dog dies (No!).

There are probably other, non-dog-related questions, but we’ll leave those to you.

Renewal 3: Shakey's Back!

As part of our Adults Read On (ARO) program, we provide booklists, and the latest is Shaking Up Shakespeare: a list of books that look at the man and his works.

kay, yes, that doesn’t sound like a rollercoaster, but hold that phone! Seriously, continue holding your phone and scrolling through that list, because it’s not all monarchical snoozefests, there’s a book on here with a puzzle box that may lead to someone’s doom!

Huh…that sounds familiar…