Friends of the Jones Library System News

The Odyssey is old.  Super    duper    old .  And now archaeologists in Greece think they may have  found the oldest version of it ever . Speak, Memory-- Of the cunning hero, The wanderer, blown off course time and again After he plundered Troy's sacred heights...

By chance do you have too many books in your home? Of course  you do! You're human! You're a Friend . We all have too many books in our homes. Well, okay, not  this guy . Here's a handy dandy little article to help you begin the process of letting go. As the article points out, "books deserve to be read." If you've already read it and probably won't again, why not pass it along to the next guy? And to help you get started, your Friends are here .

For your perusing enjoyment. (We know it's little.  Click on it to go to the article & see it in all its larger glory.)

Sure sometimes you find forgotten bookmarks inside books. But what about permanent notes to future readers? Take a look at this article to discover some funny, clever notes past readers left for all of us to discover.

Not only did he act in the BBC's hit series Sherlock Holmes, but Benedict Cumberbatch has portrayed other literary figures for our thespian enjoyment. Here are a few of his literary roles .

Okay, actually? There is no 100% accurate online ANYTHING. But this is a fun quick time-waster, if you're waiting for other people to show up in the conference room for the all-staff meeting. They say only true book lovers will score 100% on this quiz . And now, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Have at it, Friends.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Dads can be pretty awesome, from your own to the one you wish you were . Cheers to the dads out there.

Perhaps you need a little inspiration?  Here are a few literary characters who got revenge by living their best life . 

Danish librarians got a bit more than they bargained for when they checked out three old books .

Come sit in a dark, cool, air-conditioned basement and be entertained this summer. Free movies two Saturdays in July and two in August. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Curtis Sittenfeld's new book of essays, You Think It, I'll Say It , "gives sustained, compassionate attention to the middle-aged women of middle America." Before each essay's conclusion, a more complicated and richer version of each woman is revealed. Read more here .

Somewhere in England, a literary prankster has "been making 'creative interventions' all over the country for about 20 years." The Friends are wistfully wishing he'd come visit us in Amherst...