Friends of the Jones Library System News

Join us tomorrow night at the Middle School for an evening with Elizabeth Kolbert, author of "The Sixth Extinction." The doors to the auditorium open at 6:30 but you  can come at 6:00 and have some snacks, drinks, and get to chat with the author herself. Free and open to the public. (Click on image to enlarge.) This lovely reception? All courtesy of your Friends.

Starting on Saturday, March 4th, come to the Jones Library's Woodbury Room at 10:30 for a rockin' good time. The series kicks off with the Amherst College Zumbyes and if you don't know them, you're in for a treat ! (Click on image to enlarge.)

If you're attending an event in the Woodbury Room in the Jones Library and want to be able to hear all the juicy details, you need to know about this .

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"The Authors Guild will not countenance impediment to the free flow of information; we will not remain silent in the face of attacks on free expression and freedom of movement." Want to read a little more ?

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Here are 15 love-filled illustrations from children's books to warm your soul.

one publishing intern is sending to our newly-elected President . (h/t the Berrett-Koehler Communiqué )

It's a " gift that keeps on giving ."

Here is a small collection by the OED of political terms inspired by our current reality. Our two favorites are trumpertantrum  and, of course, the trumpkin:

Perhaps you've zipped through Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction and now want to read more about climate-change? Writer Arundathi Roy once said, "Fiction is truth. I think fiction is the truest thing there ever was." The Guardian has collected a list of the five best novels dealing with climate-change . Truth.

...Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Pepin, Wisconsin. Author of the adored Little House on the Prairie series, the books are based on Wilder's experiences growing up on the American frontier. From fiddling with Pa to feuding with Nelly, these books were an integral part of so many American childhoods. Five of the nine books in the series garnered Newbery Honors and she now has a Newbery Award  named for her . Happy birthday, Laura!

You know how some people do romantic things on February 14th? Just in case you've got a special someone you'd like to do something special for, libraries are a great place to get romantic ideas. There are all those DVDs to watch together. Then there are romantic books to curl up with. You could even check out a cookbook and make a romantic meal. (Or better yet, take a class !) Perhaps you're crafty? We've got a book for that . Whatever you might need on Valentine's Day , swing by the library. They've got it.

Not only are they Super Bowl champions ( again ), but the New England Patriots love children's books, from Malcolm Mitchell to Julian Edelman to Martellus Bennett .  Sadly? The Amherst public libraries have none of these on their shelves. We're certain that will be rectified now that the Friends have drawn it to their attention. Right, Jones ?

While normally, the Friends love all things Canadian , we're particularly impressed with Canada's literary-minded shoplifters. No, these intellectuals don't go for the obvious  (please, oh please read the reviews). These highbrow Canadians opted for Haruki Murakami  to slip into their interior coat pockets. The Friends want to know what books most walk away from the Jones Library. Any ideas, Jones?

Soyinka , playwright, poet, novelist, and the first African writer to ever be awarded the Nobel prize in literature, confirmed he had followed through on his pledge to destroy his green card if Trump won. "As long as Trump is in charge, if I absolutely have to visit the United States, I would prefer to go in the queue for a regular visa with others. I'm no longer part of the society, not even as a resident." Interested in Soyinka? CW/MARS has many of his works .

Sales of George Orwell's 1984 surged after KellyAnne Conway's use of a new term. Currently? It's #1 on Amazon's best seller list .

The WSJ takes a hard-hitting look at how "Expletive-laden book titles, some with strategically placed asterisks, are proliferating in cookbooks , memoirs, self-help guides , even coloring books for grown-ups -- presenting challenges for bookstores and reviewers; 'where shall we put this?'" The Friends suggest the library create a #@$%! section.

...in this morning's WSJ .

Monday's NY Times had an article giving us 25 great books by refugees in the United States . Gal Beckerman writes, "[I]n the literary realm it's unquestionable that refugees, once here, often make major contributions." Check out the list and see how many of these refugees already you know.

...and they'll stand guard for us in our old age.  Thirty-five picture books for young activists.