Queen Elizabeth to Visit Virginia this Week

Fifty years ago, Queen Elizabeth visited Virginia, and she's coming back this week.
In association with this historic event, scheduled to co-incide with the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown, Williamsburg has two exhibits recalling her previous visit.

Jamestown Memories includes accounts of those who were there in 1957 for the Queen's first visit, with a web version from the Williamsburg Regional Library.

The Queen's Visit 1957 is an online photographic version of the exhibit at Swem Library at the College of William and Mary.

For more information, see
Newsletter of the Collection of William and Mary

The Fauquier County library has numerous biographies about the Queen and the Royal Family.

Here are a few titles: Queen Elizabeth II

Reading Rainbow on DVD

The library has recently added new DVDs in the Reading Rainbow Series at all three branches.

Click here for a list of titles:
Reading Rainbow DVDs

Bible Experience

Some of you may have seen Denzel Washington on CBS Sunday Morning discussing his participation in recording the Bible Experience, with over 80 other African-American actors, such as Angela Bassett, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Winner of an AudioFile Earphones award in 2007, this dramatic recreation , with music and sound effects, tells the story of the New Testament, in Today's New International Version, on
19 CD's.

The best-selling audiobook is now available at the library:

The Bible Experience

Wired for Books

Ohio University has created a fantastic online resource for author interviews, plus other literature audio resources, through its radio, television and web accessible station WOUB http://www.wiredforbooks.org/

Recent additions to the site include Don Swaim's CBS Radio Book Beat interviews with authors of the 20th century. Although the original radio program only broadcast about 2 minutes of the interviews, the full interviews, typically 30-45 minutes in length, are now available online.
Edward Abbey, Russell Baker, Janet Daily, Allen Ginsberg, Anne Rice, John Updike, Amy Tan are just a few of the wide range of authors interviewed over 10 years of the show.

Kids Corner features the tales of Beatrix Potter in both text and audio, and other children's classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Rudyard Kipling's Just So stories, interviews about Beatrix Potter, Mr. Fred Rogers, and more.

Poetry readings, with contemporary poets Robert Pinsky and Sharon Olds reading their own works, and now classic poetry such as Walt Whitmans' Leaves of Grass and the poems of Emily Dickinson read by others are found here.

Hear the Iliad, Book 1 read aloud in ancient Greek, and the Aeneid, Book IV, declaimed in Latin.

These various audio resources use either RealPlayer or RealAudio, available for downloading on the site. Some of the interviews are available for MP3 format.

Spring Cleaning

Looking for inspiration to jump start the cleaning/organization/simplification of your home and life?

Here are some great resources available at the library:


Clutter

Simplicity

House Cleaning

Home Economics


Some useful websites:

Simple Living Network

Organized Home

Cheap Cooking

Life Organizers

New Magazines for Teens and Children

Recently added titles to the teen collection include:

Justine
While featuring clothes and makeup tips, this is geared beyond celebrity gossip,
to focus on profiles of real teens and young adults who are making a difference in the world. Also, a DIY monthly feature for crafts and activities.
http://www.justinemagazine.com/

Teen Ink
Written by teens for teens.
http://teenink.com

New to the children's collection:
Boy's Quest
for boys ages 6-12.
Focuses on activities, adventure, projects, and humor.

Virginia Festival of the Book

Five Days,
Hundreds of mostly free author events
Wednesday, March 21-Sunday, March 25
Charlottesville, VA
For more information, visit
www.vabook.org

Recommended Reading

Common questions overheard in the library:
Can you recommend a good book?

I just finished the latest book by this author, and I'd like to read more like that

I want to read all the titles in this series in order. How can I find out what the next one is?

The library has several resources to provide "good reads" and answers to those questions.

The first, of course, is the reference staff.
If you have a particular author, and have read everything by them, and are looking for something similar, try asking at the reference desk for new authors to sample.

There are several great website links for mystery, science fiction, romance and reading group guides now listed under "Links" down the right side column of this blog.

Browse the stacks in these (probably unfamiliar to you) Dewey numbers: 011-016, and you will find a wealth of books about books: Reading Resource Guides

Bookmarks Magazine, for everyone who hasn't read everything is published every two months, and is available at the Warrenton branch. It has great articles on authors, what's coming up in the next few months, and explores various genres each issue.

Through the library's website, you can access, with your library card, a great new resource called "What do I Read Next?" This is an online database that you can look at in the wee hours of the night. Click on FindITVA Select Fauquier County Public Library, enter your library card, and then scroll the list for "What do I read next?"

Once you start playing around with it, you can search, naturally for authors, titles, and then also, series, genres, favorite characters, age levels,
both adult and children's authors.
If you like historical fiction, you can search by time period.
If you like certain exotic locales, or just want to read books that take place in Virginia,
you can search by location.
You can enter your favorite authors, and find recommendations for similar titles also.

If this seems a little complicated, just stop by the reference desk, and staff can provide you with an overview on searching strategies. This resource can search for fiction, non-fiction, adult, young adult, and children's literature.

Virginia Wildflower of the Year

The Jamestown (Atamasco) Lily has just been named by the Virginia Native Plant Society as the 2007 Virginia Wildflower of the Year. This was among the early native plants noticed by Jamestown colonists in the Tidewater region.
It is found in southern Virginia, most commonly in the southeastern coastal plain and blooms in April/May.
For more information about this plant and many other native Virginia plants, visit the
Virginia Native Plant Society

Related resources available at the library include:
Virginia Naturalist by John Trott, which was co-published by the Virginia Native Plant Society and the Middleburg Garden Club. It contains essays originally written for John Trott's column in the Fauquier Times-Democrat. He was a naturalist and worked with the Mediera School. The essays cover plants, wildlife and seasonal ruminations.

Spring Wildflowers of the Mid-Atlantic Region is a DVD produced for the Foundation for the Flora of Virginia Project, with Marion Lobstein, John DeMary and Suzanne Lohr. More than 100 common spring wildflowers, shrubs and vines are identified.

Yes, we have Opera

A new series for opera buffs, and those who would like to learn more about opera, is now available on Audio CD.

Black Dog Opera has released 6 classic titles, featuring Beverly Sills, Birgit Nilsson, Renata Scotto and Leontyne Price as leads.

Each opera "set" includes an introductory disc with background information, and synopses of each act and scene, plus biographical information about the lead vocalists.
Currently, the collection includes:
Aida, The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, and Il Trovatore.
For more details on the orchestras and performers, see
Black Dog Opera

Opera News Magazine is available at the Warrenton Branch.
For some opera fiction, check out these titles: Opera Novels

To watch opera performances, the library has a substantial collection on VHS.
(sorry, no DVD yet)
Operas on Video

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera is available for reference and research at the Warrenton branch. This four volume work is considered by many to be one of the best resources on Opera in English.

Operamania is a great place to start online.

Narrators of the Year

Publisher's Weekly has proclaimed Scott Brick as Narrator of the Year for their Best Audio Awards 2006. Brick, who has narrated over 300 audiobooks, was acclaimed for his performance on "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.

The library has over 80 books narrated by Scott Brick in the collection, including an audio cassette version of the Capote classic. He also narrated many of the Dune Series plus works by Nelson DeMille, Orson Scott Card and Brad Meltzer.

For a complete list of titles available narrated by Scott Brick, in both audio cassette and audio CD formats, see Scott Brick

Tim Curry was awarded the Children's Narrator of the Year,for narration of the Series of Unfortunate Events #13: The End by Lemony Snicket, in 2006, among other titles.

For a list of 30 titles narrated by him , check
Tim Curry in the catalog.

For more information, go to www.publishersweekly.com/bestaudio2006

Twilight Zone Stories to creep you out

With full cast, music and sound effects, these radio dramas capture the eerieness of the classic Twilight Zone shows of Rod Serling.
Based on original scripts from the 1959-1965 television series, Stacy Keach takes on the role of introducting the stories.
Each volume includes 10 nightmarish, amusing, or just plain weird tales, presented for your consideration by familiar celebrity voices such as Jason Alexander, Jane Seymour, Lou Diamond Phillips, Blair Underwood and Bruno Kirby among others. Copies are available at both the Warrenton and Bealeton branches.

For more information, click Twilight Zone Radio Dramas

New Magazines now at the library

The library has over 250 magazines available for browsing, with back issues that can be checked out.

New to the collection in 2007:

The Bark
Contemporary dog culture, focusing on the human-canine bond. Available at the Bealeton and Marshall branches.
www.bark.com

Consumer Reports on Health
Newletter format, features up-to-date information on nutrition, medicine , diet and health care. Available at the Warrenton branch.
www.consumerreports.org/oh/index.htm

Everyday with Rachel Ray
Monthly menu plans, travel features, home design and Rachel's popular 30-minute recipes.
Available at all three branches.
www.rachaelraymag.com

Fantasy and Science Fiction
Short stories and novellas, reviews of new and upcoming fantasy and SF fiction. Available at the Bealeton branch.
www.fsfmag.com

GRIT: American life & traditions
Accounts of life on the farm, in the woods. Features on raising animals. A magazine for families with a positive viewpoint. Available at the Bealeton branch.
www.grit.com

InStyle
Celebrity profiles, fashion and beauty advice, home design features.
Available at the Bealeton branch.
www.instyle.com/instyle/

PC Photo
Focuses on amateur digital photography and the latest technologies. Provides equipment reviews, how-to articles. Available at the Bealeton branch.
www.pcphotomag.com

Tropical Fish Hobbyist
The title says it all. Available at the Warrenton branch.
www.tfhmagazine.com/

New downloadable audio titles

Over 30 new titles are added each month to this fast-growing and popular collection.

Among the most recently available are:

Plain truth by Jodi Picoult
Remember me by Mary Higgins Clark
Cat on the scent by Rita Mae Brown
Club sandwich by Lisa Samson
Trust me by Jayne Ann Krentz
Point to point navigation by Gore Vidal

There's now many more children and teen titles available for downloading, including Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean and Crispin at the edge of the world by Avi.

Also, the entire Bible is now available for listening on e-audio. It's read by many different narrators, in a plain English version.

For more titles added this past month, please check the link to the right under New Titles Added and scroll down to New downloadable audio books

Brush up your Shakespeare

Washington is celebrating Shakespeare with a six-month festival, featuring his legacy through plays, dance, music, museums, and online discussions.
See the Washington Post Sunday, January 7, 2007 Arts Section for more details.
Also, check out these websites for a list of events and ticket information:
www.washingtonpost.com/Shakespeare
www.shakespeareinwashington.org

For those who want to explore aspects of Shakespeare in anticipation of attending a performance, or afterwards, the library offers many different ways to become more familiar with Shakespeare's life, work, and enduring fascination to actors, historians, philosophers, and sleuths.

Firstly, the Plays:
The Complete Dramatic Works of Shakespeare on DVD
available at Warrenton and Bealeton branches.
Additionally, there are copies of the plays on VHS as well at both locations.

Secondly, about Shakespeare the writer:
Peter Saccio, a noted lecturer on Shakespeare"s works has several courses available through the Teaching Company, on audio cassette and CD.

Thirdly, about Shakespeare the man:
In Search of Shakespeare" on DVD with Michael Wood and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Over the course of 4 hours, he explores the documentary evidence available to provide an intimate and illuminating portrait of Shakespeare's world.

For more information about individual plays, browse in the call number
822.33 SHA
For his sonnets, see that number plus 821. 3 SHA

If you are doing more academic research, in addition to the many print works in the library's collection, there's also the Bloom's Literary Reference Online an online collection available to any Fauquier County library cardholder, that provides in-depth literary criticism on specific works, by Shakespeare and many other authors.

This is just a small sampling of the many diverse resources available at the library about Shakespeare.

Virginia Officers who fought in the Revolutionary War tell their stories...

As part of his love of Virginia history, regional author and teacher Michael Cecere became involved in Revolutionary War re-enactments. Through original research for his "characters" who were real soldiers, he has written 5 books that tell their stories.

They Behaved like soldiers: Captain John Chilton and the Third Virginia Regiment 1775-1778
This includes a transcript of Chilton's diary and letters. Captain Chilton's regiment included notable Virginians such as James Monroe and William Washington. It provides invaluable
insights of the 3rd Virginia Regiment's routine and hardships, as they served in Trenton, and Brandywine during the war.

An Officer of very extraordinary merit: Charles Porterfield and the American War for Independence 1775-1780
The title comes from a quote of George Washington about Porterfield's service.
In this examination of numerous first person accounts, spanning from Boston and Quebec, through NJ, and down to South Carolina, the reader learns of the distinguished soldier's bravery as he endured blizzards, marches through Maine's wilderness, and action in many battles. John Marshall, future Supreme Court Justice, served as a lieutenant in the rifle unit commanded by Col. Daniel Morgan of Winchester, wherein Porterfield served as well.

Captain Thomas Posey and the 7th Virginia Regiment
Posey was with the battalion that played a prominent role in driving Lord Dunmore and the loyalist forces off Gwynn's Island and out of Virginia. His experience with his rifle company provides accounts of the Virginia forces at Saratoga, Whitemarsh , Valley Forge and Stony Point.

They are indeed a very useful corps, American riflemen in the Revolutionary War
The riflemen were formed in 1775 during the beginning of the Revolutionary War. This book includes eyewitness accounts of Benedict Arnold's attack on Quebec, and many battles in New York and NJ, including Trenton, Princeton, Harlem Heights and Throg's Neck. Southern Battles include King's Mountain and Cowpens.

In this time of extreme danger: Northern Virginia in the American Revolution
The role Northern Virginia played during the war, including political and social aspects as well as military maneuvers are highlighted in this book.

These books are available at the three branches of the library system.

Rabbit Ear Tales

Recently released on Audio CD are some famous people telling beloved stories, in three different series--American Tall Tales, Bible Stories and Storybook Classics.

Garrison Keillor retells "Johnny Appleseed" and Angelica Houston narrates "Rip Van Winkle"
in some fall tall tales.
American Tall Tales vol.1

Amy Grant and Kelly McGillis retell the story of the creation and Noah's Ark in
Bible Stories vol. 1

There are two volumes of Storybook Classics on CD.
In vol. 1, Glenn Close tells "The Emperor and the Nightingale" and Kelly McGillis reads "Thumbelina".
Storybook Classics vol. 1

In the second Storybook Classics, Cher shares "The Ugly Duckling" and Holly Hunter tells about "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Three Billygoats Gruff".
Storybook Classics vol.2

All titles are available at Warrenton, Bealeton and Marshall in the children's audiobook section.

The series will continue to release new editions several times a year.

More Modern Scholars

Baffled by the Brothers K? Do you find Tolstoy turgid?
Giants of Russian Literature: Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov explores the rich tradition of these great writers.
Professor Liza Knapp, who was the online "literary expert" for Anna Karenina, with Oprah's book club, explains how these works wrestle with the universal questions of love, death and the human condition.

The Search for the Holy Grail is timeless.
Eternal Chalice: the Grail in Literature and Legend
Professor Monica Brzezinski Potkay from the College of William and Mary, explores this theme.

A Way with Words: Writing, Rhetoric and the Art of Persuasion
From formal speeches to cocktail party banter, the role of rhetoric is pervasive in how we persuade and are persuaded. A History of the English Language focuses on how language defines people, and how the English language evolved.
Professor Michael D.C. Drout, who is the lecturer for both of these courses, is one of the founding editors of the Tolkien Studies Journal and has won numerous awards for his teaching lectures and scholarship.

Your Library Card-a virtual library in a pocket

If you have a Fauquier County Library Card,
you can use encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, find magazine and newspaper articles,
get literary criticism through the Bloom's Literary Reference Online for reports, download Legal Forms, take college test preparation previews, learn about the college application process through the Testing and Education Resource Center, and research your ancestors from the convenience of your home, any time, day or night.

From the library's website, just click on Databases and Links from the menu on the left side,
click on any of the databases listed, enter your card number and you have your own research library in your computer.

This includes the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, the World Book Encyclopedia, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, thousands of magazine and newspaper articles through FinditVa Periodical and Newspaper Indexes, going back for many years, and HeritageQuest census data for genealogy research.

If you don't have a Fauquier Library card, and you live or work in Fauquier County, own property or attend school here, you can apply online for one right here:
Application info

PS: September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month

Local Area Magazines

The Library has a number of regional journal subscriptions, including:

Blue Ridge Country
Northern Virginia (new)
Soul of Virginia
Southern Accents
Southern Living
Virginia Business
Virginia Capitol Connections
Virginia Forests
Virginia Home Educator
Virginia Review: journal of Virginia Government
Virginia Wildlife
Washington Business Journal
Washington Consumer Checkbook
Washingtonian

Please check our online catalog for locations and availability:
Fauquier Library Catalog