Friends of the Jones Library System News

"A book is a hand stretched forth in the dark passage  of life  to see if there is another to meet it." -- Harriet Beecher Stowe "What do we live for,  if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" -- George Eliot These two 19th century novelists created their own tiny support system when they became penpals .

Last year, Senator John McCain posted his reading list of his all-time favorite books . As we say goodbye to him, the Friends thought it might be nice to take a look at what one of our senior statesman found wonderful to read.

Take a quick quiz to see how your HP choices  match up against the of the literati.  And may the odds be ever in your favor.

If you've ever  been to the library with a small person in tow,  these will resonate .  Oh how they will resonate.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette recently had an article about local independent bookstores you might enjoy. The take away? "Against the odds, they're on the rise."  Check it out here .

Litcraft, a new partnership between Lancaster University in the U.K. and Microsoft, has invented a platform using Minecraft to create accurate scale models of fictional islands from great works of literature. Treasure Island is the first in this immersive experience designed to engage reluctant readers .

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me.... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. Want more?

In case you're casting about for some new books,  here are a few recommendations from the nation's 44th president.

First uncovered in 2017, the library dates back to the 2nd century AD.  It may have held up to 20,000 scrolls.  Learn more here .

So there's this guy in Romania who does these excellent Instagram photos .  The Friends think you'll like noodling around on his site.  It's playing with books.

Tips and tricks to try to get the little people in your life to read more.

Everyone's come across a book snob once or twice. Here's some handy advice for what to do the next time someone tells you  that they can't believe you haven't  read Proust.

And before you scoff and say, "No probs! Bring it!" --  some of these are hard !  Good luck, Friends. ⏰🍊